Escape to the Stars
by JSpooky
Summary: Spock/OC After the Narada Incident. Please enjoy. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Reviews, though I do not desire to push you to make them, are welcomed, but please no flames. Thank you for viewing my story.

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><p>Chapter One<p>

She was seventeen when she ran away from home to join Star Fleet against the wishes of her parents, an old, traditional Japanese couple with three kids already sucking the life out of them. Who would it hurt if the youngest left them? For Yamada Seiko, the answer was simple. No one.

She didn't leave a note when she left. Her parents wouldn't realize it anyway. They were so caught up in the wedding of her eldest sister and her CEO brothers that they wouldn't notice that she'd dropped out of high school to join. Seiko had nothing going for her. Not yet anyway.

Stepping up to the registration counter, Seiko's eyes shifted back and forth. She was acutely aware that many of the cadets were older than her, much older. Some were at least ten years her elder and probably only a few weeks her superior. The woman behind the counter had to snap her fingers a few times to grab her attention, a look of disdain masking her otherwise fair features.

"You need your parents' permission to join Star Fleet if you're a minor," she said, a tone of apology laced in with her reluctant statement. "I'm sorry."

That was something Seiko hadn't thought about. She was still a minor and Star Fleet was rather meticulous about that. "Please… I have nowhere else to go," she whispered to the receptionist, her eyes sparkling with slight tears in the silvery entryway of Star Fleet's information center in sunny San Francisco.

"I'm sorry. We cannot allow minors in without permission," she repeated, the look on her face getting worse by the minute. Seiko figured that if she could keep this up, she'd be in for sure.

"Please… My parents… I haven't seen them since I was five… I just want to make them proud of me," she lied, fake tears running down her face. It was worth it to Seiko when not five seconds later, the receptionist was pushing around images on her PADD for assistance.

"It will be just a moment, Miss. They are sending one of the commanders down that will most likely be your commanding officer, should we allow you entrance. Don't worry. This is a regular occurrence, but sometimes we just have to be sure," she said softly and held out a tissue for Seiko. The younger girl took it gladly and dabbed at her face, shifting her bag on her shoulder.

The time that it took for the receptionist, who was named Bethany Seiko found out, to contact her superiors to the time that said superior was in sight was nothing. Seiko was fiddling with the strap on her bag and looking around when she saw a man dressed in the black Commander's suit. As he closed in on the two women, Seiko noticed the bowl cut and the perfect posture, even as he walked. With widened eyes, she realized that they had sent one of the only Vulcan members of Star Fleet.

"Good day. I am Commander Spock and I will assume that you are the young woman with an inquiry for admittance into the academy," he said, his hands behind his back as he glanced over Seiko and then turned to Bethany. "Thank you, Cadet Showers. I shall handle it from here."

Without a word, Bethany nodded and made a motion for the next person in line to come forward with their personal information. Shifting uneasily, Seiko waited for the Commander to speak to her again, her eyes anywhere but on him.

"If you would please follow me, I would be glad to discuss your situation in its entirety in my office, miss…," he said, trailing off.

"Oh. Um… Yamada Seiko, sir," she said, her own posture improving considerably as the two began their trek down the hall. The Commander was silent as he walked, many cadets stopping to salute him as they passed. Only a few of them gave her strange looks.

At a glass door, the two stopped and the Commander opened it for her. As he followed, he closed it and motioned for her to take a seat. Seiko did as he silently asked and placed her bag on the ground while he moved to a window to stare out of it for a moment or two. She was growing uneasy again just before he turned to look at her.

"Might I ask a personal query, Miss Yamada," he said, moving to sit behind the black oak desk in fluid like motions. Seiko couldn't help admiring his grace as she nodded. "Why do you wish to enlist in Star Fleet? And please, do not repeat the false statements that you gave Cadet Showers."

The blood rushed to Seiko's face as she looked down at her fingers. Biting her lip, she looked back at the Commander who was waiting patiently, his fingers brought together into a steeple formation on the desk surface. Noticing how immaculate the room was, including the papers placed on his desk, she let out the breath she had been holding.

"I want to use my knowledge for something other than fueling my brothers' companies," she said truthfully and stared him in the eye. He wasn't impressed with her answer, or at least that's what his eyes told her. The teen kept eye contact as she straightened up. "My parents focus on my older brothers and sister, you see. They believe that I should be working for them for the rest of my life, regardless of my wishes to join Star Fleet."

"Again. Why do you wish to enlist, Miss Yamada?" he asked, as if he were brushing away her explanation.

"I want adventure. I want to use the intelligence that has been engrained in me. I want to do something with my life that I can be proud of."

Commander Spock leaned back into his seat and watched her for a moment. He was watching her eyes, looking for a lie, but when he didn't find one, his eyebrow raised the slightest bit. Seiko watched as he opened a drawer on his right and pulled out a PADD, still in its box, and placed it before her.

"As a future member of Star Fleet, I would ask you to open this and please import your personal information so that I may have a sense of where to place you," he said finally, making Seiko's lips widen into a smile and real tears rush into her eyes. "If you would like, I can assist you in doing this momentarily. I must speak to my superiors of my decision in your enrollment while you wait outside."

"Yes, sir," she said and stood up before saluting him. He nodded slightly and pushed the PADD towards her. With a smile, she grabbed her bag and the PADD as she left the room, shooting one last glance at the Vulcan. He was watching her leave, his hand hovering over his own.

Closing the door, Seiko jumped up and down in happiness. She couldn't believe her luck in being able to make it into Star Fleet. Sitting in a chair across the hall from the Commander's office, she opened the box for the PADD and started to input her personal information. It wasn't difficult to do so until she got to the point that they asked for a guardian's signature as well as that of an educational institution. She had neither and her heart sank.

"What if he doesn't let me in because of this?" she wondered to herself, looking at the input margin that her school would have had to place their assurance that she graduated. Her head dropped and she wrapped her arms around her knees, which were on the chair. She had been so close. A requirement for Star Fleet was to graduate high school, though she had left with straight A's.

Reaching into her bag, Seiko pulled out her inhaler and puffed it a few times. She didn't need it regularly, thankfully for her and her future at the academy, but sometimes her chest would clench up as if she did. Whether it be a placebo effect or actual medicinal qualities of the medicated inhaler, she felt better after taking it.

"Do you have asthma, Miss Yamada?" a cool voice asked, making her look up from her nearly completed registration. Standing in his doorway was none other than Commander Spock, a slight frown on his face as he watched her.

"Oh. Um. No. It just helps… with some things," she said, hiding it from his view as he stepped towards her. When his gaze hit the PADD in her hand, she felt her heart sink again. "I worked on some of the registration, in case you actually allowed me to enlist, sir."

Commander Spock looked into her eyes, a look of wonder there instead of one of annoyance that she figured he'd have. "And why would you believe that I would not allow your admittance, Miss Yamada?" he asked, looking at the piece of technology that she now held out for him. "Perchance it is of your leaving your home before graduation. Am I correct?" he asked and took the PADD from her.

"Yes, sir. I did leave with straight A's, Commander. I wanted to come to Star Fleet as soon as I could," she said half-heartedly. His eyes were scanning over her information quickly, barely paying any attention to her.

Suddenly, with a few swift movements over her information, the Commander looked at her again and held it out to her. "Welcome to Star Fleet, Cadet Yamada."

Seiko's jaw dropped. She looked at her PADD and saw a guardian's signature and a stamp of an educational institution. Both had the Commander's name there with swirling letters. She smiled up at him and tears ran down her face.

"Is something wrong, Cadet?" he asked, a flash of concern in his eyes.

She just laughed slightly and rubbed her eyes. "No, sir. I am just happy."

"You cry when you are happy?"

"It's… complex, sir," she sighed and smiled at him, his own nod making it wider. "Thank you, sir."

"From this point forward, I am your commanding officer, Cadet. You are to be placed on my class lists and will choose a room from the many on my floor of the cadet dorms. As you left your academic institution before completing and enrolling you at the end of our academic year would be highly illogical, you will meet with me daily in order to complete your general training," the Commander said as he motioned for her to follow him.

"Yes, sir," she nodded and followed him out of the information center and onto the lawns of Star Fleet. His eyes remained ahead of him, but Seiko's were focused on his ears. "Commander, may I ask a question?"

The Commander looked down at her and then in front of them as they neared the dorms. "I welcome it."

With a small nod, she watched him. "Was it difficult for you to decide to come to Star Fleet?" she asked, her background reading of the academy being pushed into the front of her mind. He pressed a button and a lift appeared for the two of them.

"As I am sure that you are well aware of Star Fleet and its personnel, you will note that as being only half Vulcan, I did not retain a place with my kind. My decision to join Star Fleet was a simple and logical one," he said as the lift carried them to his own floor of cadets. Seiko nodded, thinking about what she'd read again and watched him from the corner of her eye.

Seiko remained silent for the rest of the ride, moving her eyes to look at the door instead. She had a distinct feeling of being watched, but had to push it aside when the lift stopped. The Commander held a hand out for her to exit and followed, only to be in the lead once more as they passed many doors, a few of them open with cadets reading to studying. Some even looked up at her with smiles.

Stopping at a door, the Commander looked down at her. "These are my quarters, should the need arise that you require my assistance. The following rooms are available. Rooms 13, 17, and the one beside my own, 33. I would like to note that on a personal level, room 33 may be a sound choice. However, your choice is that which matters. All three are single rooms, meaning that you will not have a roommate at this time. If you would like one, it will not be difficult to move things around for the next term."

Not believing what she was hearing, Seiko looked up at Commander Spock and gaped a bit. She would have a choice of having a single room for the first time in her life. Plus, she could have hers right next to her Commanding officer, a man sure to have a quiet life in case she needed to study. It was perfect.

"If it isn't too much to ask, sir, I would like room 33," she whispered and looked at the number of his door. 31.

"It is no trouble, cadet. I only ask that as we will be neighbors, you will keep your output level at a minimum. There are many things of the Vulcan tradition that require little disturbance, though I do not believe that this shall be a problem between us," he said, turning the lock of her room and handing her the key.

The room was appropriately sized with one bed on the wall connecting her room to the Commander's. On the opposite wall was a TV of sorts that was most likely for the use of announcements and the like. There were several shelves with a hexagon design and a bathroom connecting itself to the room opposite the entryway.

"This is better than I imagined it would be," Seiko blurted out and took off her shoes as she entered. The Commander took a step into the room before stopping to watch her. She placed her bag down next to the bed and jumped a little in happiness. She couldn't help dancing a small bit at the end of her bed. That was until a small clearing of the throat reminded her of where she was. "Sorry, Commander."

"Do not apologize, cadet. I, too, am aware of how personal freedom can affect one used to the control of family. Now, I shall leave you to unpack and adjust the room to your fitting. I have many things to do before dinner, at which time I shall escort you to the hall, if you would allow me."

Another moment of jaw dropping and gaping at the Commander with a slight dash of red coming up to Seiko's face. She knew it was his job to see that his cadets knew what they were doing, but she felt like this was too much. "Sir, I'm sure I can find it on my own. I wouldn't want to have you waste your time."

The Commander gave a small shake of his head and looked around the room. "I do not mind it, Cadet. I shall be going there myself, as will the rest of the floor. I was hoping that after dinner, I could test you to have an accurate assessment of where you stand in your education. This is why I made the offer."

"Then I will gladly accompany you, Commander," Seiko said, feeling the happiness bubble inside of her at not only being free of her family but getting off on a good start with her own Commanding officer. She couldn't ask for a better entry into Star Fleet.

"I shall be waiting at your door at 1800 hours, Cadet Yamada. The replicator at the end of the hall will be able to produce a cadet uniform for you, which I insist that you wear from this point on," he said.

"Yes sir."

Commander Spock nodded and turned to let himself out of the room, the door closing after him. When Seiko was aware that she was now alone, she sat on her bed and smiled to herself. 'Not only did he get me into Star Fleet, but he's going to help me with my schooling… For a Vulcan, he's very generous… Not to mention gorgeous,' she told herself. She fell sideways onto the bed and started to squeeze her new pillow, never wanting this feeling to end.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Reviews, though I do not desire to push you to make them, are welcomed, but please no flames.

Thank you to those that read my first chapter, reviewed and added it to their favorites or alerts. I am glad you found it worthy.

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><p>Chapter Two<p>

The hours passed in a blink for Seiko. One moment, she was putting her regulation sheets on her bed and the next, the TV on the wall flashed and announced it was dinnertime in the mess hall. Not a second later, she heard a knock at her door and tripped her way over. She was so distracted by the items she did own being thrown everywhere that she completely forgot who she knew would be at the door.

"Good evening, Cadet Yamada. I trust you've worked yourself into an appetite," Commander Spock said, her eyes widening when she realized it was him. His eyes flickered to her room and in an attempt to hide the mess she had made, she almost fell into him. One eyebrow rose and all the blood in her body ran to Seiko's face. "It seems that there is more to be done."

"I'm sorry, sir. I was so caught up in rearranging and things like that, that I forgot to put anything where it should be, and –"

"Pardon my interruption, Cadet, but it is your quarters, is it not? I am not one to conduct you on the interior of your living arrangements, nor could I possibly enforce it. Please note that it is a fire hazard and I would be… unimpressed if you were to harm yourself via furniture," he said, his face expressionless. There was a small twitch in his eyes when he had hesitated but Seiko wasn't too interested in that.

She almost said what she wanted to ask. Almost. A soft voice in the back of her mind wanted to know what would impress him. Another wanted to point out that he could have used may other words to replace 'unimpressed.' Seiko hadn't realized that she hadn't responded to the Commander until she shook her head at an odd quirk of his brow.

"I'm sorry, Commander. I was thinking about what you said. My mind seems to be running in all sorts of directions this afternoon," she said truthfully. Though she'd leave out that he was one of the things her mind kept bouncing over.

With a small nod, the Commander held is hand out for her to exit and turned on his heel to follow. Well, more like follow until the lift and then take the lead, as Seiko expected him to do. Many cadets were watching them and she was glad that she had managed to change into the cadet uniforms. She didn't want to stand out, but took the male uniform anyway.

The two were silent up until they reached the Mess Hall, cadets swarming the replicators or service bar with actually cooked food. Seiko couldn't help staring around in wonder, never seeing so much red in her life.

"Is there a problem, Cadet?" a voice asked her, making her jump. She'd completely forgot that the Commander was next to her, having stopped when she had hesitated at the entrance. Shaking her head, she looked at his confused eyes and glanced away.

"No, sir. I just understand now how a bull must feel," she said with a laugh, one of the Commander's eyebrows rising into his hair.

"I do not understand your analogy, Cadet. Are you feeling stubborn?" he asked.

Seiko wanted to laugh. Very, very hard. But she kept it in to explain. "No, sir. I mean that it's said that when bulls see red, they become anxious enough to attack."

"Interesting. Though I find that impossible, as terran bulls are colour blind. Do crowds cause you to feel this way?"

"Unfortunately."

"I see. There are many students in this academy, Cadet Yamada. It would do well for you to understand your own fears before engaging in social activity with others. I find that befriending at least one other will assist you in dislocating your apprehension from where it resides in your psyche. This is, however, simply a suggestion. How you conduct yourself socially is of your own choosing."

Seiko blinked at the Commander for a moment. Why couldn't he have said "go make a friend and you'll get used to it"? Why did he have to be so round about in his way of speaking? "Yes. I think that would help, sir," she said, trying to push past her own wonder.

The Commander nodded once and turned on his heel, heading to one of the replicators. Seiko watched him for a moment before going to one of her own and staring at it. At home, they made all of their food. She had no idea how to work a replicator in regards to food, though she could manage one to make clothes.

"You know… There are other starving people around here. Any time, chickie," a voice said to her, making her flush. Turning, she saw a group of much older people standing behind her. None of them were wearing the regulation cadet uniform, making her even more self conscious.

"Er… Sorry. Please, go ahead of me," she said, stepping aside, watching the man in gold that had spoken to her. She knew his face. Something she had read stood out to her. Ignoring it for a moment, she watched the man use the replicator. His fingers were moving too fast for her to comprehend what he was doing and when his meal appeared, she felt her stomach groan.

He raised an eyebrow at her and glanced at the replicator. Realization dawned on his face, making him laugh. "You don't know how to work these things, huh? I would love to show you, but I have somewhere to be. Sulu, help her with this."

With that, the man dressed in gold left the group behind in the Mess Hall. Seiko was nothing less than confused and horrified that he would draw attention to her. Glancing to her left, she saw a dark skinned woman smile at her for a moment before using the replicator herself. Seiko tried to watch, but someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"You aren't going to learn by watching someone. These guys have been using them for so long, you'll never catch up," the person said, making Seiko turn to look at him. She was staring at a rather attractive man with the same eyes as her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she smiled. "I'm Hikaru Sulu, Miss…"

"Ah. I'm Yamada Seiko," she said in her native tongue, keeping the traditional way of saying her name in her speech. A glimmer of happiness flashed in the man's eyes and he grinned widely.

"It is a pleasure, Miss Yamada. Now, let's get you some food. You look like a stick," he grinned and pulled her to the replicator once the last person, dressed in blue with a scowl on his face, was finished with it. Pointing to the buttons, he placed her fingers on it. "Here. You type in the first few letters of what you want and push 'add.' Once you have everything you want, you press replicate. For instance, what do you want to eat?"

"Um… A black bean burger with a Diet Dr. Pepper and a huge chocolate chip cookie," she said, thinking about what her stomach wanted at that moment.

Sulu chuckled and nodded, showing her the screen. "Now, start typing in 'black bean burger." As she did, a few options showed up on the screen. "See? Now push the arrow down to the one you want and push add." He helped her through the complete process until she had her food in her hands, a huge grin on her face.

"Thank you so much, Mister Sulu," she said only loud enough for the two of them to hear as he got his own food. His eyes flickered to hers and a small smile appeared.

"Anytime. Would you like to sit with us? Only the captain needed to be somewhere. The rest of us have time off until the next mission," Sulu said, pointing at the table that held the others that he was with. She hesitated for a moment and he caught it. "You were raised in a very… sheltered family, right?" The look of surprise on Seiko's face made him smirk. "Don't look at me like that. I grew up the same way. If it wasn't for the friends I made in my first week here, I probably would be sitting in my room right now fearing that someone would knock on my door."

"I'm not _that_ socially awkward. It's just that crowds intimidate me. Though I was advised to make a friend to make the transition easier."

"Well, see? Whoever told you that was clearly telling you to get off your lazy butt and be friends with me." Seiko could help rolling her eyes at the man as he stepped up to the table. "Hey, guys. This is Cadet Yamada Seiko. I've asked her to eat with us."

The group looked up at the two of them and some smiled, making Seiko's face grow hot. Sulu put his tray down and took hers, putting it between his and the dark skinned woman's. When he sat, he grabbed her arm and pulled her down.

"We don't bite, now sit down," he said jokingly. She did and looked around. "So, introductions. You already know me, the man who saved your life." Everyone just rolled their eyes. "Next to you is Uhura, the grouchy lookin' one is Lenord McCoy, beside him is Scotty. The little guy beside him is Kneeser, then Pavel Chekov."

Everyone seemed nice enough. Though the man called McCoy only nodded his head at her rather than say anything. She was silent through introductions, trying to reign in her fears.

"So, Cadet Yamada-"

"Oh… Um. Call me Seiko. Cadet Yamada's a mouthful," she said, making the rest of them laugh.

Uhura nodded and began again. "Seiko. How old are you?"

"Seventeen, Miss Uhura," she said, noticing that Pavel's eyes had shot to her in interest.

"Uhura's fine. That means you're the same age as our dear Chekov," she said with a grin, glancing at the boy across the table. Seiko did the same.

"Really? Did you graduate early or something?" Seiko asked, making the boy look sheepish.

"Er… Yes. I vas wery smart in school… My parents allowed me to attend early. Did you do ze same?"

Anxiety began to creep up again, making Seiko look at the good on her plate. "Uh… No. I left home on my own."

The table was quiet at that point, allowing everyone to eat some of their food. A lot of thoughts were zooming around Seiko's mind at the moment, but was stopped when a familiar voice sounded close to her.

"May I join you?" Commander Spock asked, making Seiko smile slightly. He sat across from Uhura and nodded his head towards them.

"Seiko, this is-"

"The Cadet and I are already acquainted, Mr. Sulu, as I am her commanding officer," the Commander said simply as he took a bite of the salad that he had acquired.

"Poor you," Sulu whispered and nudged her. She laughed slightly and this caught the Commander's attention.

"Is something amusing, Cadet?"

"Oh, leave her alone, Spock. She's new."

"I am well aware of her status in the academy as well as social rank, Mr. Sulu, as I was the one that allowed her admittance."

Uhura wrapped an arm around Seiko's shoulder and held her close before whispering to her. "Commander Spock is quite picky about who he lets in, especially if you dropped out of school."

"I simply did not wish for the Cadet to miss out on the chance to use her intellect in a highly stimulating situation, Lieutenant. I would also request that you refrain from speaking about myself as though I were not present," the Commander said, narrowing his eyes slightly at Uhura, which only made her grin widely at him.

"Yes, _Commander_," she said, emphasizing his rank. A small corner of his mouth twitched in response.

"Cadet Yamada, I would like to remind you of our meeting tonight so that I may assess your abilities."

"I remember, Sir," Seiko said as she finished her food and stood up. "If you will excuse me, I'm going to get back to the dorm and prepare myself."

Sulu immediately stood up and took her tray for her. "I'll escort you, Cadet," he said happily. Seiko could feel her face heat up again and nodded, smiling at him. She waved goodbye to the others and followed Sulu out into the warm evening.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Reviews, though I do not desire to push you to make them, are welcomed, but please no flames.

Not everything in this chapter is of my own idea. Other Spock/OC stories have been influencing me. If you've read it, I've probably read it as well. Also, I'm sorry that this chapter is subpar. I was trying to find a way to make Seiko NOT a Mary-Sue. There really isn't much one can do that hasn't already been done.

Thank you for viewing my story.

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><p>Chapter Three<p>

"So… You're going to be a student of Spock… I gotta say, that takes a lot of guts to even contemplate," Sulu said as the two of them crossed the courtyard to the dormitories, sort of a repeat of Seiko's morning.

"I'm not worried. He got me into the academy without parental and educational permission. I don't want to let him down."

Sulu nodded and held the door open for her before the two made their way to the lift. "I understand. What's your area of focus?"

"Well, in high school, I was interested in general anthropology as well as horticulture. I suppose here, I would attempt to work out a xenoanthropological and biological focus." The look on Sulu's face told her that she had to stop speaking like her commanding officer. "Blue shirt."

"Ah. So you'd be a little clone of the Commander. Too bad. I could have requested you to shadow me in the position as pilot," her escort grinned as they stepped out of the lift. He waited for Seiko to choose a direction and as she turned right, he eyed her. "So… What are you going to do once we go back on mission?"

Seiko stopped at her door and leaned against it, watching the man beside her. His eyes looked confused and a bit uneasy about something. "I suppose my studies would be transferred to another professor. At the moment, it doesn't seem like I'll have to worry about that. The Commander has decided not to actually enroll me into classes until the next term."

"So, basically, he's going to be helping you finish your high school stuff," Sulu stated, rather than asked. Seiko nodded and he mirrored her actions with a strange look on his face. "If he gives you any trouble, don't hesitate to tell me. I could fly in circles just to annoy him if you'd like. I'm sure Kirk would get a kick out of it."

Smacking his arm, Seiko smirked and shook her head. "If I do ever feel that he needs to be taught a lesson, I'll let you know, Sulu."

"Please. Call me Hikaru. Or Savior is fine, too," he said, ducking out of the way of Seiko's hand. He laughed and started down the hall. "Don't let him intimidate you! He may be Vulcan, but he can feel!" he called out before he entered the lift, leaving Seiko to smile to herself and enter her room.

Sitting on her bed, Seiko looked around the room. It was much larger than the one she was used to and she was happy to be in Star Fleet. She grabbed a book she had placed on her sheets to prepare herself for her testing with the Commander and flipped through it quickly. Thankfully, there wasn't much she would need to prepare for.

In high school, she was labeled a nerd when people realized that she had an IQ in the positive sector. From that point forward, she became silent and faked her intelligence so that she wouldn't be picked on. Now, she would be able to prove herself.

A buzzing over the door indicated that someone was there, and after straightening her outfit, Seiko made her way to open it. Outside was none other than Commander Spock. And he was holding something red.

"I hope your dinner went well, Commander," she said, stepping aside for him to enter. He did so and looked about the room, still a mess.

"Cadet Yamada, I must insist that you wear the female uniform. It has been observed by my superiors that though you followed my instructions, you do not follow the dress code," he said as he handed the crimson uniform to her. She sighed and nodded. "I must ask that you change immediately."

She was a bit confused, but did as he requested and locked herself into the bathroom. Pulling the male uniform off, she pulled on the female shirt, followed by the skirt. When her feet slipped into the boots, she sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. The Commander's attention instantly focused on her.

"Thank you for your compliance. I would not wish it upon either of us to be looked at in a negative light. Please, sit." Seiko did so, as if it wasn't her room and looked expectantly at him. He sat in a chair nearby and took up the book she had been looking through. "This is a text book from your former institute, is it not?"

"Yes, sir. I suppose I forgot to give it back when I ran away," she said honestly.

"No matter. May I ask what you would intend your focus to be in Star Fleet?"

"I was wondering if it were possible to work with a xenoanthropological and biological background."

"I see. Have you studied either in any length during your schooling?" he asked, flipping through the book as he spoke.

"I've spent time in horticulture and anthropology, yes."

The Commander was silent for a moment and then turned his eyes up to look at her. "_What is the position you would value more_," he asked suddenly.

"_Xenoanthropology_," she said but realized her mistake. He hadn't asked the question in English, nor did she respond in English.

"Interesting. Where did you learn Vulcan, Cadet?" he asked, closing the book with a small thump. Her eyes were on her hands and were twitching slightly. "Cadet?"

"I read… some phonetics in a book, once."

The Commander was silent for a moment before he nodded and stood. "I believe that it is unnecessary for you to be assessed, Cadet Yamada. In fact, in your situation, I would justify you working alongside myself on the _Enterprise_ as we properly formulate your studies."

Seiko was dreading the answer to her next question, but asked it anyway. "My situation, sir?"

"Your photographic memory and advanced brain processes. They are not unlike my own background. I will speak to my Captain about placement. In my time away," he said, opening his back and pulling out a thick book, "I want you to read this."

Taking the book from him, Seiko eyed it nervously and noticed that the title was in Vulcan. She almost felt her heart drop. "What is it, sir?"

"You will know when you begin." With that, the Commander turned on his heel and left her room, leaving her in a daze. Still staring at the book, she felt her tears well up. She was treated differently for her form of intellect, she could see that already.

"If I didn't have this stupid glitch, I'd be treated normally," she whispered, frustrated at her own dumb luck of being a member of an intelligent bloodline.

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><p>Spock was sitting in a straight-backed chair in his office when James T. Kirk finally managed to get his lazy, shore-leave ass out of bed. When he was allowed admittance into the immaculate room, he slid into a chair and crossed his legs. He rubbed his eyes slightly before he looked at his first officer.<p>

"What do I owe the pleasure of being up this early?" he asked, making Spock nearly roll his eyes in disgust.

"Captain, I'm afraid to inform you that it is two in the afternoon."

"Is it really?" Kirk asked, turning the Vulcan's clock around to stare at it. "So it is…"

Slightly annoyed at his items being out of place, Spock pushed the clock into its rightful position and then folded his hands on the desktop. "Jim, I've asked you here to discuss a quandary I have come across."

"Oh yeah? I'm assuming it has to do deal with our leading lady," the younger man said, obviously talking about the _Enterprise_.

"Of course. Recently, I have admitted a young woman into the ranks of Star Fleet. She has no family in the area, nor does she have the documentation of completing her previous studies."

"So, she's a runaway dropout. Got'cha. Continue."

"Last evening, I had intended to assess her abilities in order to properly designate her focus and class schedule for the next term. She expressed a desire to work in the field of xenoanthropology and xenobiology."

"So, basically a science officer that knows too much about everything. Like you."

"I suppose that is a sound judgment. As we began, however, I wanted to see how well she handled being spoken to in another language. The surprising thing was that she answered in the language presented."

Kirk nodded and smiled. "Vulcan, I'm guessing."

"Precisely. I asked her where she learned, as I am quite sure that it is not a part of any Earth based curriculum. She told me she read it in a book once."

"So, she's a super-computer. Like you."

Spock nodded and leaned back in his chair to look out the window. "It would seem that way. I believe that she would benefit greatly from working one on one with myself. It is possible that she would be able to learn everything that there is about Star Fleet."

"I guess. But we're leaving soon, Spock. What are you going to do with her once we do?"

"Therein lies my quandary. I do not believe that staying on Earth with professors that do not understand is the logical future for Cadet Yamada."

"If you don't toot your own horn, that is," Kirk said with a smirk in his voice. Spock only raised an eyebrow. "It's an expression, Spock, relax. Now, lemme guess. You want to bring her with us, don't you?"

"How well you know me, Captain," Spock said with a small smirk before it disappeared, though his eyes still held that amusement.

Stretching a bit, Kirk nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "I suppose that wouldn't be a problem. As she will be under your supervision, and she's not an actual cadet, I don't think anyone would think twice about it. But you have to keep her under control, Spock. What is she, eighteen?"

"Seventeen."

"Seventeen, then. Human teens are very different from Vulcan ones. You have to watch her."

"I shall do my duties as her mentor and supervisor as well as your first officer, Captain."

* * *

><p>A knock on the door of her room made Seiko stand up with the book she was give and walk distractedly to the door. She pushed the button, still reading and the person on the other side huffed.<p>

"You've gotta be kiddin' me. Get your nose out of the book and let's go get some lunch," the exasperated voice of Sulu said as Seiko looked up. He was wearing his gold pilot's uniform and his hair looked perfect.

"Ooh. Someone's looking to impress someone else," Seiko laughed as she marked the book and placed it on her bed. Sulu walked in and rolled his eyes.

"Not for you. Definitely not."

Going into the bathroom to put on her uniform, Seiko gasped in fake hurt. "Not me? What, I'm not attractive enough for you, Hikaru?"

From behind the door, she heard him laugh. "Not my type, Seiko. Sorry."

Reemerging from the bathroom in the female uniform, Sulu gave her the once over. "Commander Spock told me I had to wear it. No laughing at me."

"Now why would I ever do that? If it wasn't for the bruises all over them, your legs would be pretty sexy," Sulu said as her door closed while they walked down the hall. "But you'd still not be my type."

"Oh, shut up. Not all of us can be Chekov," Seiko grinned and watched her friend pale and stagger a bit. "Oh, didn't want people knowin', huh? I've been here two days, Hikaru. You don't hide it well. You think I'm stupid?"

"Was kinda hopin' you were," Sulu shot back and glared at her. "That's right. Not all of us are blessed with ignorance, are we?"

The two teased each other across the yard of the academy when a few girls from Seiko's dorm stopped them. They were all dressed in cadet reds with their manicured nails on their hips.

"Well, well. Look it's the Commander's pet," the one in front said, making Sulu roll his eyes.

"Leave her alone."

"This has nothing to do with you, Lieutenant. This is just about the new teacher's pet."

Seiko nodded and patted Sulu on the shoulder, making him shake his head. "Cadets just become more and more intolerable as time goes on, don't they?" he asked, making the girls glare at him.

A brunette from the group walked forward and pushed Seiko backwards, though she waved Sulu off when he tried to stop them. "Just because you're some orphan lookin' to get a free ride, you start screwing around with the Commander!"

"I'm not an orphan," Seiko whispered, getting pushed to the ground. The girls stood above her and Sulu was glaring at all of them.

"What was that?"

"I said I'm not an orphan!" Seiko yelled before the one thing she didn't want to happen, did. In a second, everyone in the surrounding area was covered in blood, flesh and entrails. Seiko's eyes widened as she noticed that the front-runner of the cadet group was no longer standing with them, but rather, covering them.

It didn't take long for the girls to understand what had happened and started screaming. Seiko was frozen in fear while Sulu tried to get her up. She was staring at the place that the girl had stood and felt tears well up in her eyes.

"Lieutenant, what is going on here?" a cold voice asked, making Seiko snap out of her fear and huddle into Sulu's chest as her tears finally started to fall. "What is wrong with Cadet Yamada?"

"Commander… I- I don't even know what happened… One second, she was there and the next…"

"What is it that you are covered in?"

"She… She blew up, sir."


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Reviews, though I do not desire to push you to make them, are welcomed, but please no flames. Thank you for viewing my story.

I apologize that this chapter is considerably shorter than previous ones. I just wanted to get this out of the way, as this portion is boring.

Thank you to all that have added this story or myself to your favorites or commented this story thus far. The question of whether or not Seiko and Spock will be together has come up, and though I do intend this coupling, it might be a while. I find that I enjoy watching characters get to the relationship rather than be in them. I'm simply forewarning you.

* * *

><p>Chapter Four<p>

Seiko was sitting on a very uncomfortable chair in what looked to be an interrogation room while she heard yelling outside of the door. Her head was down and she was still covered in the remains of the girl that had accosted her. Sulu had been told to gather the remaining girls and take them to Medical.

The yelling suddenly stopped, making Seiko look up. Standing in the door way was Commander Spock and a man with slightly greying hair. She looked back down when both took a seat across from her.

"Cadet, my name is Admiral Christopher Pike. I would like you to tell me exactly what happened between you and Cadet Malory," the man said. Though his tone was kind and slightly pitying, Seiko couldn't help but want to hide under his gaze.

"She stopped me when Hikaru and I were going to lunch. She and her friends started to push me and call me an orphan and accusing me of sleeping with Commander Spock for my place here. I couldn't control myself, sir. Then, she exploded," Seiko said quickly, trying her best to not start crying. She'd never accidentally blown up a person before.

"Cadet, did you make her explode?"

"I… I didn't mean to. Things just happen…"

With a sigh, the Admiral nodded and turned to the Commander, who had been silent during the exchange. "Spock, you are the girl's commanding officer, correct?"

"Yes, Admiral."

"How much stock is in Cadet Malory's accusations?"

"Absolutely none, sir. You and I have spoken about Cadet Yamada's background and my reasons for her admittance. Cadet Yamada has made it here of her own merit and abilities, having absolutely nothing to do with a physical attraction or otherwise. You know me to be a logical, man, Admiral," Commander Spock said, his eyes burning in annoyance. If the Admiral noticed, he didn't point it out.

"I'm glad to hear that. You requested that she join you on the Enterprise for your next mission…I don't know how easily that will come to pass, now that this has happened."

"Sir, if I may. The cadet did not intend to harm Miss Malory, regardless of the situation that she was put into. She was horrified by her actions, as I had seen upon my arrival. Cadet Yamada broke down in the arms of Mr. Sulu. That is not the reaction of someone that had intended harm," the Commander said quietly.

"This can never be easy here, can they, Commander?"

"I do not believe so, Admiral."

"Cadet Yamada. As it was a very unfortunate accident, I am granting Commander Spock's request for you upon the Enterprise. There are conditions, however. You will be working upon the Enterprise with no pay or credit towards your academic career. Your quarters will be a detention room in the brig to which you will be required to be in when you are not on duty. Meals will be given to you by guards in your quarters only. Daily, I would ask Commander Spock to work with you concerning your emotions. If I am satisfied with your progress, I may allow you greater freedoms. If Cadet Malory's family wishes to press charges, I am afraid a trial will be waiting for you upon your return to Earth. Am I understood?"

Without looking at the two men, Seiko nodded and felt her eyes well up. She would be in prison upon the Enterprise, but as long as she behaved, she would be okay. "I assure you, Cadet, that I will do all that I can to assist you in controlling your emotions. I know that none of us wishes to repeat today's events."

The Admiral sighed and his hands appeared on the table. "There are many students here that have similar cases to you, Cadet. You aren't the first one to accidentally kill another Cadet. Students and their families know what they are signing up for. You are not a murderer."

"I feel like one, sir," she mumbled before she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Commander Spock looking down at her, not having realized that he had moved at all.

"Spock, get her cleaned up and packed. You leave tonight at 2200."

As Seiko stood up, she realized that her head barely made it to the Commander's collarbone. _Why am I even bothering thinking about this? I've just been thrown into a prison aboard the Enterprise…_

The Admiral stood up as well and held out his hand to the door. "Cadet, I will get things straightened out for you. If I explain the situation to Cadet Malory's family, I'm sure they will understand. In the meantime, please rest and focus on what Commander Spock can teach you. I will contact both of you in due time concerning future actions."

The walk back to the dorms was quiet between Spock and Seiko, though every cadet they passed seemed to change direction or stammer away from them, afraid that they were next on her list of people to blow up. Though she knew that she would most likely get less than fair treatment by a majority of the academy, this was starting to gnaw at her. She was beginning to fear that even Sulu didn't want to be friends with her anymore.

"Cadet, I am truly sorry about what has come to pass. I have asked Mr. Sulu to assist you in packing, as I have a number of things that I must do before we leave. Please wash yourself thoroughly, as a disease transmitted through blood would be most unfortunate."

She noticed the slight hint of sarcasm but nodded when they reached their rooms. Punching in the code, Seiko walked in without a second glance to her Commander. She heard his own door open and close. Immediately, Seiko ran to her bathroom and turned on the shower. Being entirely thankful that it was water instead of the sonic showers she knew the Enterprise would have, Seiko stood under the scalding water, still in her uniform.

Not a single though went through her mind. Seiko wasn't sure when exactly she shed her clothing, but when she did, she heard someone laugh slightly. Peeking out of her shower, her eyes widened to see Sulu sitting on her counter.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her mind blanking in shame.

"Spock asked me to come over to help you pack. I had already planned to do that, but it gave me a good reason to tear myself away from Pavel," Sulu said with a small smile as he watched her. "You went in there with your uniform still on?"

"When the Commander dropped me off, I just went in here…"

"What's wrong?"

Looking up at her friend, she bit her lip and then disappeared behind the curtain again. "I didn't think you'd show."

"I saw you cry about what happened, Seiko. I'm not afraid of you," his voice said, making her smile slightly. "Just relax a bit, okay? We'll be able to hang out more when we get on the Enterprise."

"That won't be happening," she said dully.

"Why not?"

"I'm only allowed to work and sit in my room in the brig."

"They're locking you up in a detention room?"

"I killed someone, Hikaru. I'm lucky they decided to still let me learn with the Commander and not thrown me into jail down here," she said in a huff.

"Stop calling him that. His name is Spock. Just call him that, geez."

Stepping out of the shower and taking one of her regulation towels, she watched Sulu for a moment. He was clean, making her wonder if he had been able to take a shower before he came or if he just wiped it all off.

"They're gunna give me a death sentence, aren't they?" she whispered before she went to change and they began to pack.

* * *

><p>Spock was sitting on his bed, staring at his PADD. Admiral Pike had sent word that he had told Cadet Malory's family of the incident. He was reading the email for the fifth time since he opened it.<p>

'Commander Spock, I have spoken to Cadet Malory's family. They are unhappy about what has happened and have asked…"


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Reviews, though I do not desire to push you to make them, are welcomed, but please no flames. Thank you for viewing my story.

Thank you to everyone that has added or reviewed this story. I'd like to apologize now to Spock/Uhura fans.

* * *

><p>Chapter Five<p>

The hanger was busy with activity as various cadets boarded shuttles bound for the Enterprise, their commanding officers watching them from the side. As boots thudded around her, Seiko glared at the ground. Commander Spock had deemed it necessary for her to be escorted by security officers to the Enterprise, much to Sulu's dismay. He wasn't allowed to accompany her, as he was needed on the bridge as soon as possible.

"Get in," one of the officers growled at her while pushing her into the shuttle with a firm grasp on her arm. She didn't struggle with him, as he was three times her size, but she did grimace. The other officer followed in as the two sat and blocked her in.

"I can't believe that we have to babysit some kid," he said, glancing at his partner. The other laughed slightly and rubbed Seiko's knee for a moment.

"I dunno. I don't mind much," he replied and both chuckled. Seiko grabbed his hand and pushed it away from her. "Can you cuff her?"

"The commander didn't say to."

"But he didn't say not to."

With a clank of metal, Seiko's hands were cuffed to the arms of her seat. She was very unhappy about this and strained against them until both officers hit her hands with their phasers.

"This is Captain Kirk, we are cleared for takeoff," a voice said as the shuttle doors closed and Seiko felt the lifting sensation in her stomach. Squeezing her eyes shut, she bit her lip and groaned. She wasn't a big fan of the takeoff of shuttles.

"Looks like someone doesn't like heights," one officer said.

"If I had an issue with heights, I wouldn't be a member of Star Fleet, would I?" Seiko ground out through her teeth and gripped the arms even harder. _I'm gunna die, I'm gunna die, I'm gunna die…_

The shuttle finally passed out of the Californian atmosphere and Seiko's fear subsided. Unfortunately_, _her relaxed state didn't last long. As she was looking out the window at the looming figure of the Enterprise, she felt a pair of hands on her legs. A glance down showed her one hand from each officer.

"Get your disgusting hands off of me."

Neither officer acknowledged her demand, and continued to touch her. There wasn't anything she could do until the shuttle docked. _Get off, get off, get off… _

When the shuttle docked, the door opened immediately and Commander Spock was there, his blue science uniform glaring in the midst of red. Seiko's eyes met his in mental agony and without further prompting, the Commander stood before the three.

"Gentlemen, I suggest that you remove your hands and the cuffs from Cadet Yamada," he said in a low voice. When she was released, Seiko nearly launched herself into her Commander's arms but stopped halfway. "If I am made aware that either of you attempt to take advantage of this situation again, I will be the one to send you home with a dishonorable discharge."

Seiko's eyebrows rose into her hair as Commander Spock turned her about and pushed her through the door of the shuttle. Head bent, she now followed him to the brig, her bag hanging off her limp shoulder. No one paid either of them any mind, but she knew that all of them were aware that she was on board. It was regulation for the entire crew to know when a dangerous person was on the ship. She was sure that some of them would make themselves known.

"Cadet, under the circumstances, I am required to place you here," Commander Spock said as he released the lasers from one of the detention rooms. The two walked in and Seiko looked around. It was very small with a toilet in the corner. She knew immediately that she wasn't going to be using it, especially if the two officers from the shuttle were watching.

"This blows," she mumbled, making the Commander look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I do not feel a draft, Cadet," he responded.

With a laugh, Seiko sat on her bed and closed her eyes. "Nevermind, sir."

"May I?" he asked, motioning to the bed. She nodded and moved a bit so that he could sit beside her. "Cadet, I understand that this is less than favorable circumstances."

"You have no idea."

"I wish to express that what I said earlier still stands. I will assist you in any way possible."

"Thank you, Commander," she whispered. When she looked up at him, she noticed that he was staring at her. Her cheeks warmed up slightly but his eyebrow rose an inch.

"Are you unwell, Cadet?"

"No, sir."

The Commander nodded slightly and watched her. "If you'd like, you may accompany me to the bridge for take-off. Captain Kirk is aware of your presence on the ship as well as what has happened. Though I believe we should procure an alternate uniform. Thankfully, Admiral Pike has allowed you to wear the science uniform."

"No stripped pajamas for me, huh?" she asked, slight humor in her voice. The longer the two of them sat together, the more relaxed she was becoming. The moment that she had felt her cheeks turn red was embarrassing for her, but the look of concern in his eyes made her wonder. Seiko was somewhat pleased that Spock was her commanding officer, knowing that she would attain an innumerable amount of knowledge at his side, regardless of her situation.

"If you mean that you will not be required to wear the wardrobe of a prisoner, you are correct." With that, Spock stood up and motioned for the door. Seiko followed, leaving her bag in the room.

At a replicator, the Commander pressed the buttons to order a female science uniform and handed it to her. In an alternate room, she redressed herself for the bridge and when she was finished, Spock was waiting for her with a ghost of a smirk on his face.

* * *

><p>The lift opened and Jim spun in his chair to look at his first officer and his shadow walk onto the bridge. "Spock! Where've you been? We're about to take-off. I was worried you weren't on ship."<p>

The Vulcan nodded his head to the captain and escorted the girl to his position. Jim was watching curiously, knowing exactly who the girl was. "Cadet Yamada, if you feel the need to blow anything up, please release those emotions on any asteroids comin' our way." Seiko turned slightly towards the captain and smirked. "Don't give me that look, young lady. You may just end up on the wrong side of the bed."

"Captain!" an irritated voice yelled out, making Seiko look towards the large window looking out into space. She smiled when she saw Sulu's face staring at the captain. "I'm sorry to tell you, but she's not someone that's gunna sleep with you."

"Oh yeah? How would you know, Mr. Sulu?" he asked amused, much to Seiko's displeasure. She felt the Commander stand up beside her and glanced at him. Though his face was impassive, she could tell that he had something to say as well.

"I believe Mr. Sulu is correct, Captain, though it is not of my own opinion. For a captain to have sexual relations with a minor is punishable by court-martial and imprisonment."

"Oh yeah. You are seventeen, huh. Well, then Uhura, wanna see my new room?" he asked, turning his chair to look at the dark skinned woman Seiko had only met recently. Apparently, the Commander bristled at this. "I'm kidding."

"I think all of you are nuts," Seiko said quietly, but Sulu caught it. He motioned for her to stand next to him and winked. "Hi Hikaru."

With a look from his navigator, Sulu hushed her and pouted. "Don't call me that here. You call me sir or Lieutenant, got it?"

"Yes, _sir_," she said mockingly as he pressed things on the screen in front of him. She bent down and watched. "We're going into warp?"

"Yep. We've been asked to land on Comet Archer and collect debris and core samples. Apparently, it's gravitational path sends it into areas that it's magnetic qualities might be able to be useful. Basically, looking for hitchhikers."

"You will be assisting me in taking samples, Miss Yamada. It will be interesting to see what sort of biological residue, if any, has made its way into the further reaches of the universe," Commander Spock's voice said close to her ear. She jumped and looked at him over her shoulder, slightly perturbed at how close he actually was. Her blood sped up in her veins and her teeth found her lip. Was it getting warm in here?

"Mr. Sulu, are we ready?" Kirk asked, watching the three gathered around the panel.

"On your mark, Captain," he said as Spock motioned for Seiko to go back to his seat and sit for take-off. He was holding onto the side of the panel to steady himself.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>After working through a few problems with Commander Spock regarding gravitational pull on the comet, Seiko was led into her room in the brig. She didn't mind being around Spock, as his personality was very similar to that of her family, though much more comfortable to be around.<p>

"Do you think we'll find anything of use on the comet?" she asked, her hand sweeping through her hair.

"That depends. Comet Archer has recently arrived from non-federation space. We aren't sure what is there beside Klingon colonies. If there is anything on the comet that tells us about the worlds outside of known space, we will engage in a mission to seek their origins," Spock said as they neared her room. When Seiko slowed down, Spock did the same. "I know about your concerns, Miss Yamada."

"My name's Seiko, Commander. As I'm not a cadet at the moment and am little more than a prisoner, I'm just Seiko."

"I believe I should discuss what I have received from Admiral Pike concerning your sentence," he said, motioning to her room. As both sat on her bed at the same time, Spock took out his PADD and pressed a few places on the screen. Words appeared.

"Admiral Pike has written to you? When?"

"Between our meeting with him and you coming to my room with Mr. Sulu."

Seiko's eyes widened as her jaw dropped. "You're just telling me this, now?" she cried out, making the guards outside of her room look at the two of them.

"We were both preoccupied with the launch, Miss….Seiko. If you'd like, you may read what he has told me," he said, handing her the data pad.

Seiko's eyes immediately went into quick mode and scanned the letter before reading each word individually.

'Commander Spock, I have spoken to Cadet Malory's family. They are unhappy about what has happened and have asked to speak with Cadet Yamada themselves. According to Malory's father, she had a background with bullying before coming to Star Fleet to clean up her act. Though he was surprised and angry about my news, he did not seem surprised. Mrs. Malory died recently and was not close to her daughter.

'Though I do not condone Cadet Yamada's actions, I can honestly say that it does not seem difficult for her to be allowed a normal life after this. If this is the case, and Mr. Malory agrees, Yamada will not be tried and will continue to be in your care.

'As Admiral, I must insist that this be recorded in her records, even though she cannot be punished as an adult quite yet. All of her future endeavors will know about this incident and it may affect her as such.

'If Cadet Yamada does show progress with her emotions and manages to work well with the ship, you and I will talk about her placement.

'Until then, Commander.

'Admiral Christopher Pike'

Seiko was shocked. Looking up at Spock, he raised an eyebrow. "Is it not to your liking, Seiko?"

"I'm just surprised, Commander."

Spock nodded and took the PADD back from her. His eyes looked at the wall of her room for a moment as she heard him sigh. "If you wish to begin controlling yourself, meditation before you sleep as well as when you awaken will assist you during the day. I will bring you some incense after the shift is over. I will also bring you a meal."

Smiling to herself, Seiko nodded and Spock stood. He turned to her for a moment and stepped out before instilling the lasers again. "I will return in an hour, as shifts are not as they usually are. In addition, as I shall be calling you by your name, you should do the same. Call me Spock." With that, the Commander left for the rest of his shift while Seiko grinned and leaned against the wall of her cell to wait.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Thank you to all that have reviewed or added this story to their favorites.

This chapter contains graphic activity. You've been warned. I'm sorry...

Seiko has bad luck...

* * *

><p>Chapter Six<p>

"Allow yourself to fade from the reality you belong to. Focus on your heartbeat, feel the blood rush to your fingertips and back. As you breath, expel all thoughts and negativity, inhale the cleansing the incense provides," Spock whispered as Seiko sat on her bed with her legs crossed in front of her. She opened her eyes for a moment, but Spock's fingers brushed them closed again and she could feel a jolt of uncertainty and some pride.

"You are doing very well, Seiko. I want you to now focus on your anger and the incident with Cadet Malory. Imagine seeing your anger wrapping around that incident and begin to pull it into yourself."

Seiko could see her confrontation with Cadet Malory, could feel herself being pushed to the ground. The anger that she felt when she accidentally blew her up was now visible in a haze of black surrounding them like a fog. As she breathed deeply, she tried to pull the haze back into herself. It wasn't moving towards her, and the longer she attempted, it began to expand.

"S-Spock… Help-" she whimpered before feeling a hand on her back, rubbing in small circles. She relaxed slightly and attempted again. Though the image was frozen at this point and she could now see Spock as he approached the scene, Seiko began to pull on the haze again. The pulling in her navel indicated her own spirit trying to help.

"Relax, Seiko."

Through her frustration, Seiko pulled harder, attempting to do as Spock had said. The feeling of the haze being pulled back into her was becoming easier and in reaction, her mood started to get better. She was so surprised that she had managed this, she lost hold of the haze and fell back into reality with heavy breath.

Staring at the ground, Seiko could feel the hand on her back disappear and the figure beside her kneeling to her level. "Seiko? Are you alright?"

Looking up into Spock's dark brown eyes, she nodded while catching her breath. "Yes, sir. I feel… great." Seiko watched Spock nod slightly, but a glint of something was in his eye. As he stood to extinguish the incense, Seiko couldn't help but see how languid his movements were. How easily his fingers flowed over what he was doing. She was well aware how sensitive a Vulcan's fingers were to physical contact, and was now becoming surprised that he had touched her to begin with.

At that moment, a knock on the wall outside of her cell caused the two of them to look up. It was the dark skinned woman, Uhura, which was staring back at the two of them with a smile. "Hi Seiko. Commander, may I have a word?" she asked cheerfully. Spock nodded and turned to Seiko before he moved to the door.

"I suggest a full night's rest, Miss Yamada, as I will be requiring your assistance in the morning. We will be arriving at the comet soon and I would like to be ready before we get there," he said. When she nodded to him, he held his hands behind his back and left the room. Stopping outside of the doorway, he pressed a few buttons on the data pad on the wall so that the lasers appeared again. Seiko was too relaxed to bother worrying about them.

"Goodnight, Commander," she whispered as the two disappeared and she made herself comfortable on her small bed as sleep consumed her.

* * *

><p>"May I ask why you needed to speak with me about, Lieutenant?" Spock asked as the two of them made their way down the hall. Uhura was holding his hand gently, but she was blocking her emotions from him, which disturbed him. He usually knew exactly what she was thinking at any moment, but not now.<p>

"I wanted to know how your progress with Seiko was going," she said nonchalantly, but her behavior was confusing Spock.

"She is very willing to understand the process in which to control herself. I believe that her abilities will prove helpful in this case. I have no doubt that she will be completely in control of herself soon enough. However, that is not all that you wish to speak about, is it, Nyota?" he whispered as she opened the door to an empty rec room.

Uhura smiled and shook her head, leading him in. When he closed the door, she sat at a small table that was usually there for people to play cards or chess. "No. That's not all. I wanted to discuss our relationship. I know that you aren't completely happy."

"What has brought you to this conclusion, Nyota?" he asked.

"Oh, Spock. You know just as well as I that things have gotten cold between us. I know how the loss of Vulcan and your mother affected you. As much as I wished to help you with what you were feeling, we were both looking for someone to hold us. I was there for you, and you were someone I could run to," the woman said as she held Spock's hand gently.

He could feel the love she held for him and how it had evolved, much like his own. What they both had thought to be romantic love had changed into companionship rather than those of mates. He realized then that neither of them felt bad or guilty about it. It being the end of a relationship that they had only held together for convenience.

"Have you found someone else, then?" he asked with curiosity, though his face wouldn't show it. Looking at the smile on her face, his lip curled up slightly. "May I ask who it is?"

"Um… It's Jim."

"The Captain? I find that very… unexpected, Nyota. I know how the two of you argue," he said with a hint of playfulness.

"He's… persistent. But I suppose that is the sort of man that really gets me."

"And this morning?"

"Believe me, he and I have done nothing in the time that we have been together, Spock. He and I have only discussed it, thus the reason for me talking to you. Is there anyone you're looking at?" she asked, her smile growing slightly.

"No."

"What about your charge?"

Raising an eyebrow, Spock looked at his ex-girlfriend with slight disbelief. "I assume you're speaking of Cadet Yamada."

"That's not what I heard you call her." They both knew that Uhura wasn't stupid. She could have been there the entire time, watching them.

"I assure you that I am nothing more to Cadet Yamada than her commanding officer, Lieutenant," he said with a slight growl. This made Uhura's smile widen.

"For now."

The two talked for a while before they decided that they needed sleep. As they parted ways in the hall, Spock knew that they would both find what they were looking for.

* * *

><p>Seiko was dreaming of a world with incense coiling around her. She loved every second of it. She was about to breathe in deeply when a blinding pain shot through her abdomen. Looking down, she saw that her stomach pulsed, being shoved further into her body before it rushed back out. It was like someone was forcing it into her with their hands or feet.<p>

A crack interrupted Seiko's dreams, a loud rush of air sifting out of her lungs as she awoke. Her eyes were blurry, but she could see two figures in red before her. Her body wasn't comfortable, so she believed that she was on the floor instead of the cot she was given. Shielding herself from the next blow, her body curled in on itself and she broke down into sobs.

"About time. That Vulcan must of done some hoodoo shit to make her sleep this long."

She knew that voice. "What time is it?"

"0300. Time for prisoners to wake up and start work."

She knew that voice, too.

A fist grabbed her uniform and forced her up from the floor. There was a slight struggle for air, but Seiko's hands gripped her collar to allow oxygen to flow down her throat. However, she didn't have to wait long for it. The familiar feeling of the bed made contact with her back, but a new weight was on her as well.

"My turn first, then?"

That was all the prompting Seiko needed before she started to thrash around on her bed, her legs kicking at the body now straddling her. "Get the fuck off of me!" she screamed before the free officer's hand smashed into the side of her face. The coppery taste of blood flooded into her mouth and past her lips.

"Everyone's asleep. No one's gunna hear you."

Each time Seiko's knees or feet moved the officer above her, he came closer to her body until he was practically sitting on his chest. And the officer was right. They were in the brig of the ship, primly located so that no one could hear the screaming of prisoners of war. The rest of the ship would be unaware of what was happening.

A few struggles between the officer on top of her and Seiko resulted in a few smacks to the face and a hand around her throat. As she gasped for air, she stopped fighting. A teen girl was no match for two officers assigned to the Enterprise. She'd be a fool to even consider it. This realization brought on tears.

"Aww. How sweet. She's crying."

"Daddy will make it all better, honey." This was followed by two sick pairs of laughing.

Seiko hadn't realized that it was as cold in the brig as she felt once her uniform was being cut from her body. Maybe it had to do with the fact that her blood had stopped pumping into her veins, her body subconsciously looking for death. When the air hit her chest, she gasped, truly believing that she was breathing in ice.

"You won't be cold in a minute."

A knee hit the metal wall of her room painfully, making a whimper pass her lips. In an attempt to grab it to massage the bone, her arms were pulled above her head in a firm grip. "Commander Spock is going to kill you both!" she growled. Again, a blow to the face.

"Just shut up. You killed his little sister, so what sort of chance do you think your half-breed protector would be able to come up with on you getting to live?" the officer above her asked as he groped her breasts and unzipped his own pants. "You better be lucky that he thinks you're too disgusting to fuck."

At that moment, Seiko felt a pain between her legs that she'd never experienced before. She couldn't hold back the scream of pain, anger and disgust that erupted from her chest, nor the tears streaming down her face. She could feel the urge to kill the man on top of her, but even if she were to 'accidentally' blow him to bits, a part of him would still be inside of her. That fear forced her to control herself, though the screams continued.

"You disgusting…fuckers…," she panted as the officer thrusted in and out of her in ragged movements. Though he was bigger than most men, his hips were still sharp and when they met hers, she could feel their bones grinding together in the deranged dance of rape.

"Shut up, or I'll put yer mouth to better use," the officer holding her wrists said to her in a low growl, making her want to choke on the bile rising in her throat. She was so disgusted, that she almost didn't realize that the officer was finishing up, his thrusts erratic and his body rigid.

"Don't you fucking dare!" she screamed, but was stopped at the pulse of his cock and spurts of cum flooded into her. Her heart stopped, thinking about the diseased swimmers that were now fighting for survival inside of her.

"Fuck. She's not that good, man. I wouldn't bother," Seiko heard as the weight got off her and her wrists released. She couldn't move. The cool air eased the pain of her muscles but caused her bones to ache. The smell of copper was everywhere.

"Yer right. Let's go before someone comes down."

And then they were gone.

Black eyes stared, unseeing, into the darkened corridor outside of the cell. The floor lights blinked slowly in blue, mimicking her pulse. The buzzing of the lasers and the constant drip onto the metal floor were all that she would hear, had her mind been in the same reality.

Behind her eyes, Seiko was in a world of incense and brown, Vulcan eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Thank you to all that have reviewed or added this story to their favorites.

I'm sorry this sucks... I want some new action...

Chapter Seven

Chekov had gotten up early with Sulu so that they could find Seiko and grab breakfast. Though his boyfriend was talking with the Captain, the younger man decided to get the 'prisoner' on his own. He felt bad that she had to stay in the brig just for an accident, and figured that there must have been a genetic mutation somewhere in her bloodline. In truth, Chekov was very curious about the girl that was a mix of himself and Sulu. Especially since the Commander, of all people, was her personal teacher.

Pressing the button for the brig in the lift, Chekov bounced on the balls of his feet, anxious to get Seiko and meet with Sulu again. Though the two hadn't been together very long, just the thought of being close to the Japanese man again thrilled him. He'd never admitted that being his navigator was the perfect job, regardless of the extra work he pulled sometimes.

The doors to the lift opened and he was met with darkness and silence. "Zis eez creepy," he whispered to himself as he started to walk down the corridor, a hand on his phaser. Sulu had told him that Seiko was in one of the cells furthest from the lift in case she got scared and accidentally killed someone. With a long corridor, she had enough time to realize someone was there. This didn't make Chekov feel any better, as the hall got darker the further he went. "Zeiko?"

There was no answer, but she could easily be still asleep. It was dark enough. "Eez cold down here," he mumbled and rubbed his arms as he noticed one cell that had lasers up. That had to be hers. "Zeiko! Breakfast time!" he called out, a small smile on his face as he made it to her room.

Peering through the lasers, Chekov felt stomach acid make its way into his mouth. He had to force it down when his back met the opposite wall of the hall. His eyes were fixated on the scene before him. There were two puddles of blood on either end of Seiko's body, which was turning dull grey in the cold. Her hands were hanging over the edge of the cot in a manner that suggested she'd been held. Her mouth was ajar and her eyes peered at him, though unseeing.

"F-fuck!" Chekov gasped as he got up and ran. He couldn't help the burning in his chest or the fear that was pushing him towards Sulu, wherever he was. The lift ride felt too long to the young man, but once it opened, he erupted from it straight into the arms of the man he needed to see.

"Pavel… What the hell is wrong?"

"Eets Zeiko!" he yelled out and pulled Sulu with him into the lift. He didn't realize that the captain was still with him and he followed.

"Settle down, Chekov. What's wrong with Yamada?" he asked, staring at his navigator. He was pale and shaking.

"Eets… Eets…," he tried, but when the lift stopped, so did he. He pulled Sulu with him down the corridor until they reached the lasers. Chekov stayed back a few paces, watching the older men go to the cell.

"Mother fucker!"

The lasers disappeared and the captain disappeared into the cell. Sulu grabbed Chekov's hand and stared. "Ees she-"

"She's still breathing, but not reacting," the captain said and the two heard the flip of his communicator opening. "Bones, I need you in the brig. Get Spock down here, too."

"What happened?"

"Just get down here!"

The three men stayed in silence as they waited. Sulu was holding onto Chekov and Jim was rubbing Seiko's head. They knew she was alive, but even the lights coming on in the brig didn't make her stir.

Two pairs of feet rushed to the group, belonging to McCoy and Spock. Though the doctor's angry face turned into one of horror at the sight, Spock's remained indifferent and cold. "What the fuck happened?" McCoy asked, falling to Seiko's side with his tricorder.

"Chekov found her like this and got us. Bones, was she…?"

"…Yeah… And from the amount of blood, she's never broken the law before."

"What do you mean?" Sulu asked out of curiosity.

"I believe the doctor means that Miss Yamada had never engaged in sexual activity before this incident," Spock whispered. No one noticed that he was more withdrawn than usual.

"You mean she was…"

"Pretty much. Jim, whoever did this is a member of this ship and I wouldn't put it past them to be security officers. I need to get her to medical bay."

At that moment, Spock rushed into the room and took a clean sheet from McCoy. The doctor and captain watched him wrap it around Seiko and pick her up before turning around and walking back towards the lift. Sulu and Chekov were quick to follow with Bones and Jim behind them.

"Spock, place her on the bed, please," McCoy said as he grabbed a few hypos and rolled a small table over. He noticed that Spock was still holding the sheets in place. "Hey, hobgoblin, I need to look at her body, you know."

"It is not you that I am wary of, Doctor," the Vulcan said easily and looked at the small group comprised of Sulu, Chekov and Jim.

"Well, don't let us get in your way. We have to get breakfast so that we can fly the ship," Sulu said, not minding that his commanding officers knew about him and Chekov.

"I do not sink I veel be able to eet, Heekaru," Chekov whispered as the two of them made their way out of medical bay. All that was left was Jim.

"I'm not leaving," he said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Jim, I can't do a proper exam if you and Spock are gunna be sitting there. I'm sure the poor girl has been through enough humiliation," Bones said, taking him aside. "I want you both out. Now."

Spock stepped to the men and shook his head. "I am her teacher, she is my charge. It is my duty to ensure my protégée's health. If you were to deny my responsibility to Miss Yamada, I'm afraid you are very much mistaken."

Jim and Bones stared at Spock, his words being unusual in his case. Jim had a strange feeling boiling up in his gut, but didn't say a word about it. He figured he'd talk to Bones later. "Fine. Let Spock stay, but curtain her off enough that he only can see her head. I also don't want anyone else to know about this until we know exactly what went on. I'm going to take control."

"Thank you, Captain," Spock said as he stepped back to Seiko's bed and held the sheets once more.

"Don't let him mind-meld with her. Not until she is fit to do so. If he does it now, he might hurt or scare her," Jim said before he clapped Bones on the shoulder and walked out of medical. He had a ship to run.

As Bones drew the curtains, he made sure that only his patient's head was visible to the Vulcan standing close by. Taking a long look at him, Bones saw worry in Spock's eyes. He wouldn't say anything about it, however, wanting to wait for the perfect time to use it in one of their many squabbles. Picking up a hypo from the tray, he injected it into Seiko's neck, only to be stopped.

"Doctor, what was that for?" Spock asked, staring at Seiko's half-closed eyes.

"Contraceptive. Don't want her to wake up pregnant, do we? She's a kid herself for god's sake," Bones grumbled and injected her with another. Before Spock could say anything, he rattled them off. "Pain. Blood replenishing. Sedative. This girl was probably up all night. I know if I went through that, I would. Or have nightmares."

Spock began to reach for Seiko's face and Bones had to smack his hand away. "Back off, Vulcan. No mind shit with her until she is fit for duty. Jim's orders."

The look on Spock's face reminded Bones of a deer in the headlights. His brown eyes looked so innocent that he nearly gagged. "Don't give me that look, Spock. If you touch her, I will throw you out."

The two men sat in silence as Bones looked Seiko over. Spock was staring at her face, which was now in a state of sleep. He had watched her eyes slip shut, regardless of the outline of bruises around them. Bones was cleaning her of blood, checking on the commander every now and then. Both were curious about how Seiko would awaken, when it would happen, and how she'd react.

"I failed her. She wasn't supposed to be harmed, but under my direction, she was. I don't know how to feel right now," Spock said, and it seemed to Bones that he was struggling for words, though he had never known his favorite Vulcan to be at a loss for them. Everything was logical or illogical. That's how the man worked. But now, he was looking for a stream of consciousness that seemed to branch off.

"It wasn't your fault, Spock. Like I said, it was probably the guards down in the brig. Once we know who they are, we can get rid of them," Bones said, trying to remain calm. The last thing he wanted was an erratic Vulcan in his medical bay as he was tending to a victim of rape.

It was at that moment that Spock stopped ruminating on what had happened and looked at Bones. "Security officers?"

"Well, yeah. They were the ones in the brig last night after you left." Bones didn't have to say anything more as Spock disappeared with long strides out of the Medical Bay. "Green blooded bastard…"

* * *

><p>Spock walked into the mess hall after brushing himself over so that it didn't seem that anything was wrong. He knew who he was looking for and hoped that they hadn't left for work yet. Even if they had, he'd still find them. He'd find the ones that broke the minor in the medical bay. His student.<p>

Walking towards a large group of men and women in red, he held his hands behind his back in fists. They were there. Laughing. As Spock got closer, the security officers began to look up at him and sat at attention. Nodding to them, Spock turned to face the two he was looking for.

"Officer Malory, Officer Ferrel. I wonder if I may have a word with you," he asked gently, hoping that he didn't sound too eager to question them about Seiko's accident. He didn't need to wait long as both men glanced at each other and stood. Both were twice as big as Spock, but he knew he had the ability to do as necessary. Turning, he walked out of the mess hall, knowing they were following.

"What's this about, Commander?" Malory asked, his large hand running through his short, light brown hair. Ferrel was standing at attention, his black eyes sizing up the Vulcan.

"May I ask where the two of you were between the times of 100 and 700 hours this morning?" Spock asked, figuring that they had gone after Seiko after everyone from first shift was asleep.

"I was talking to my wife, sir," Ferrel said. "There is a variable different in time zones."

Spock nodded slightly and glanced at Malory. "And you?"

Malory's face started to turn red as he gritted his teeth. Spock wondered if he was angry about being questioned or that he was speaking with the one in charge of the girl that killed his sister. "Talking to my father, sir."

"I believe that both of you are lying to me," Spock said simply and watched Ferrel begin to fidget under his gaze. "I believe that both of you were in the brig."

"And why would you think that, sir?" Malory asked, staring Spock in the eye.

"Because you are the only one I know to have something against Cadet Yamada."

"We weren't the ones that raped her, if that's what you mean," Ferrel growled, not realizing his mistake until Spock's eyes narrowed in his direction. "Oh… shit-"

Spock took his phaser out of his belt at the same time that Malory did. He pointed it straight at his chest and stared. Ferrel was backing away from the two. "On behalf of Star Fleet and Yamada Seiko, you are both under arrest for use of sexual force on a minor."

Ferrel turned to run, but was met by a phaser to the face. Spock glanced at his help and saw Sulu glaring at the men before them. Spock really wanted to grin like a maniac, but held that at bay. Both Security officers put their hands up and waited. It wasn't long before others came to apprehend them.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Thank you to all that have reviewed or added this story to their favorites.

I hadn't intended to write the memory presented in this chapter, but it was brought up in a review. So, I said "What the hell?" and re-wrote the story to include it. Hopefully you enjoy it, though it's a small taste of the cake.

Also, the Mari are a species presented in the Star Trek universe. It took a while to find it, though.

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight<p>

"Get off of me!" Seiko screamed and sat upright in bed, her hands covering her head, waiting for the blow to come. When one didn't, she looked up and around. She wasn't in the cell she had been placed in. Nor was it as cold as the brig itself. A beeping next to her ear caught her attention. A heart monitor.

"I see you're awake," a growling voice said to her, making her head snap to the side. Sighing, Bones walked into view. "Welcome to medical bay, Seiko."

"Doctor McCoy. How…"

"Chekov found you. Told Sulu and Jim to follow him to the brig and Jim called me an' Spock. If I'm not mistaken, one of your ribs was cracked and your face is pretty bruised up. I gave you a few hypos to keep you from getting pregnant and for the pain. You also have a few stitches…down there," Bones said, his eyes darting everywhere than the girl in front of him.

Tears appeared in Seiko's eyes and nodded, trying to forget what had happened. She was very thankful that she didn't feel the pain of being ripped open, but she just wanted to curl into a ball and hide. So, she did, moving to lie on her side and curled up. When her sobbing started, she felt someone rubbing her back.

"It's alright, Seiko. Spock arrested the guys that did it to you. You're safe here," Bones whispered to her. She just shivered and wrapped her arms around her.

_It was a mistake coming here. I've only been in Star Fleet less than a week and I'm already a prisoner and… and…,_ Seiko heard her brain start to whisper. Her tears streamed down her face. _What's… going to happen to me?_

"Doctor, is she awake?" a monotone voice asked, making Seiko draw the sheets up onto her body so that the new person wouldn't see her. She didn't want anyone to see any part of her. Not to know what had happened.

"Spock, I don't think you should approach her right now. I know it's beyond you Vulcan to understand the feelings that a human goes through every second of the day, but I can assure you that if you go barging in there while she's vulnerable… I don't know what will happen."

"I simply wish to see her. I will not speak if she does not wish it. I just would like to know if she is alright after being informed of what has happened," Spock said carefully. Seiko could hear him and relaxed a bit. "I won't let anything happen, Doctor."

Bones sighed heavily and waved him on. "Fine. But if she starts crying, I'm blaming you."

The sound of light footsteps close to her bed made Seiko look over the sheet. She saw the blank face of Spock, her teacher, but his eyes were dark. "Commander, I'm sorry that…"

"Please do not speak, Seiko. I am not here to do anything other than insure your safety."

Seiko's mouth closed and she nodded, turning so that she could see Spock, who was now sitting in a chair next to her bed. He winced slightly at the bruises, which had turned nearly black in his absence and looked down.

"I am sorry about what has happened, Seiko. I should have done something when I saw the actions of Officer Malory and Officer Ferrel on the shuttle."

"No… It's all my fault. That I can't control myself, that I killed Cadet Malory."

"Seiko… I believe I may have an answer to your problem. I found myself unable to focus on sleep last evening and decided to look up your family history. It is very fortunate that because of your Japanese heritage, your ancestors are continuously tracked. Inevitably, I found one by the name of Bielle, a Mari. Do you know what this means, Seiko?" Spock asked, his eyes lighting up. When she shook her head, he continued. "This means that your ability to destroy objects in relation to your emotions may be a genetic defect. The Mari are of the Delta Quadrant and are a race that outlawed negative and violent thoughts because these thoughts can turn into violent actions in the wrong hands. If a violent thought is harvested, it may result in the host of the harvested thought to injure or kill. Because of this, I believe that you are inadvertently taking thoughts away from others. Your mostly human body cannot hold them properly and thus, your Mari genetics expel it in the form of violent energy."

Seiko stared at Spock, who was obviously proud and excited about his discovery. Though she didn't follow completely, she understood. She had a Mari ancestor, and it was likely that the violent thoughts leading to explosion weren't her own. She would have been as elated as Spock if she weren't in medical bay.

"They cannot punish you for your genetics and an inability to control them," Spock whispered and rubbed her sheet clad arm. "You are safe now."

"What about the security officers…? Surely when I'm put back in the brig, more will come after me."

Spock looked slightly smug before he shook his head. "I do not believe that anyone will come for you. If you will allow me, I would like to show you what happened. The Doctor told me not to look for what happened to you, and I will not do so. I do believe, however, that you would benefit from knowing what happened to your offenders."

It took less than a second for Seiko to nod in agreement and pulled the sheet from her face. She knew the Vulcan mind-meld technique and the inevitable feeling exchange between them. Breathing deeply, she felt Spock's fingers touch her face and soon enough, a feeling of invasion took over her mind.

'_Please allow me inside so that I may assist you, Seiko,'_ Spock's voice whispered in her mind, though speaking in Vulcan. She felt herself nod and opened her inner eye while pulling her mental blocks down to allow his entry. She could see him standing stalk straight with his hands behind his back. '_Are you ready?_'

'_Yes._'

At that moment, Seiko saw Spock standing with his phaser pointed at a dirty blonde while Sulu stood beside him pointing at a brunette. Both men were dressed in security reds and grim looks on their faces. She could feel anger and disgust, though she knew they were not her emotions.

"Are these the guys that hurt Seiko, Spock?" Sulu asked. Though Spock didn't respond, she knew he made an affirmative motion towards her Asian friend. "Which one of you did it?"

The blonde laughed and shook his head. "That little bitch killed my sister. Do you really think that I'd soil Christa's name by fuckin' her?"

"Thanks for backin' me up, Lance," the brunette groaned. A spark of hate erupted in Seiko's brain and this time, it was hers. Though, because it was so prominent, it could have mixed with Spock's.

"I will repeat myself. You are both under arrest," Spock said curtly, his grip tightening on his phaser. "I will not take no for an answer."

The blonde lowered his arms suddenly, and charged at Spock. Seiko winced, but it was unnecessary, as Spock caught the man and pulled his arm back only to punch him in the face. The blonde went down for only a second but shoved his shoulder into her host's stomach. The wind was knocked out of their lungs, but Spock's hands twisted the officer's arm back with a sickening crack. Seiko knew his arm was broken.

"I had warned you, Officer Malory. I believe that if you would like to continue this I can oblige," Spock said, hissing slightly. He was angry. Violently so. "If you wanted to punish anyone for the death of your sister, you should have come to me. I would gladly assist you with eliminating your need to take advantage of a young woman."

Spock was about to go after Malory again, but was held back. "Spock, calm down. We got 'em. They'll be put on trial and given prison time," Jim's voice said, making both of them pause. Spock's anger subsided, but slightly.

"They hurt her, Captain."

"I know, Spock. Relax. I got this. Go to Medical and stay with her," Jim whispered into his ear. As Spock nodded and turned away, Seiko felt the feeling of invasion leave her.

"Spock?" she whispered, holding her hand out to the commander, her eyes still closed. A warm hand met with hers just as more tears flooded her face. They weren't tears of sadness, but of happiness and safety. Spock kept her safe after the initial incidents.

"Yes, Seiko?"

"Thank you."

Sitting in the bed assigned to her, Seiko looked through the book that Spock had given her on Earth in an attempt to get the rape out of her mind. She had answered all of the questions that Jim, Spock and McCoy had, all of them reporting to Admiral Pike. Though he didn't need to, Spock stayed with Seiko as much as he could when he was not on the bridge, testing and teaching her. She never got tired of his presence.

"Seiko, may I ask you something?" Spock asked a day or two after she had been found by Pavel. Her eyes glanced up at him quietly and nodded. "When you are out of medical bay, would it be socially acceptable to eat together, as our schedules are the same?" he asked.

Seiko couldn't help a small smile appearing on her face and a red flush on her cheeks. It sounded like he was asking her out, but she knew that she shouldn't get that excited about a simple request. "Mr. Spock, if you are asking if we can sit together at meal times, I do not believe that should be a problem."

"Do you not sit with Mr. Sulu?"

"Would you be opposed if he did?"

"No. I did not wish to intrude upon the two of you, if that were the case," Spock said with a slight edge to his voice. Anyone else would have brushed it off as his own speech, but Seiko had been looking for any flux in his words.

"If you didn't know, Hikaru and Pavel are together, Spock. I don't want to be a third wheel, so sit with us."

"Are you sure you are alright with the incidents of the past week, Seiko?" Spock asked, probably for the millionth time.

"No. I'm not. You know I'm not. But I'm trying to deal with it," she sighed and looked Spock in the eye. "Coming to Star Fleet was a mistake, Commander. After we arrive on Earth, I am going to go home."

Seiko saw the change in Spock's eyes immediately. What she said to him made them grow dark and angry. His hands, which were in his lap, were now balled into fists. "If that is what you wish, Miss Yamada, then I cannot stop you," he ground out as he stood.

"Spock-"

"Get some rest, Miss Yamada. Also, as you do not seem to need it, I will relieve you of the book I lent you."

Keeping a tight grip on the book, Seiko held it out of Spock's reach. His body turned rigid and glared at her. "Spock, listen to me for a moment. I wanted to know if you actually wanted me to be here regardless of the trouble I've caused. That's why I said what I did."

"I do not understand."

"It's a mediocre form of reverse psychology, Spock. When humans want to know how others feel about them, they indicate that they feel the opposite of what they actually believe. When others voice their opinion, they know how to act appropriately," Seiko said quickly, hoping that he would understand and not attempt to leave.

The explanation was needed, because Spock's posture softened and his long fingers relaxed. His eyes, though they still burned in anger, understood her words. "You were… testing me then."

"Yes."

"Did you receive the information you wanted?" he asked, somewhat bitterly.

"Yes."

"May I ask what you have found out?"

"You don't want me to leave."

* * *

><p>Walking out of medical bay, Seiko yawned and straightened her blue dress out. Physically, she was tired, but her mind was going too fast to sit in bed all day again. She needed to get her mind off of the bad things that had happened and she knew just the person to help.<p>

Stepping onto the lift, Seiko pressed the button for the bridge and leaned back against the wall. To be honest, she was thankful that Spock had been able to find out about her family. A part of her just wanted to blow herself up before that point, but the Vulcan made it worth it. The lift stopped for a moment and in walked the man she was thinking about.

"Miss Yamada."

"Good morning, Commander," she said with a smile as he turned and stood next to her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough. And you?" he asked, his eyes brightening.

"As can be expected in a biobed."

The two were silent for a little bit as the lift made it to the bridge. Spock allowed her to get out first and lead her to his station. Waving to Uhura, the darker woman smiled and winked. Next to her, the Commander went slightly rigid and Seiko rubbed his arm to calm him down. Turning to the screen, Seiko missed the look that Uhura passed onto Spock.

"I have gotten things ready for our decent onto the comet, Miss Yamada. We will be arriving tonight around 2000 hours, though we will be on course with Comet Archer until tomorrow morning," Spock said as he brought up the statistics on the comet. "It will just be the two of us, and I believe that some training will be necessary."

"Hey, Spock!" a voice called out, making both of them turn to look at the captain's chair.

"Yes, Captain?"

"I wanted to let you know that things are on schedule. Also, are things alright between us?" he asked, looking Spock in the eye. Seiko was a little confused, but she turned away to look at the monitor at Spock's station. She wasn't sure what was going on behind her back but didn't care much. When she heard Spock's answer, it completely left her head.

"Of course, Captain. I have settled on a new course."

With that, Spock pushed Seiko to sit in his chair as he pointed at the screen. "This is our flight path, and this is that of Comet Archer. Because of the comet's adequate size, we will be pulled into its weak gravitational pull."

"That's how we'll stay on course with it?"

Spock nodded and his eyes smiled. "Yes. Once we are out of range of this asteroid field," he said, pointing at a thick line of dots on the screen, "we will be clear to beam to the surface and collect samples."

Seiko nodded and zoomed into the specifics of the comet's flight. "The comet will be passing through the outer rim of the asteroid field. That means we don't have much time between beaming there and back. Probably a time span of an hour at most."

"I'm impressed, Seiko. Not just anyone can calculate a steady time frame between a comet and an incoming asteroid field at a velocity that is based off of the objects own speed from its break from origin and potential gravitational pulls," the captain said from behind Seiko as she was still watching the screen.

"I learned how in the book the Commander lent me last evening," she said, distracted by the flight path. "Commander, if it wasn't enough, if we don't have all that we need from the comet, it will be destroyed, as it flies too close to this star after it exits the asteroid field. Between exiting and entering the stars pull, it's a twenty three minute span."

"Do you believe that we will have enough time to collect samples, Miss Yamada?"

"As long as you prepare a list of what we need. If so, then it should be no problem," Seiko said with a grin.

"She's turning into him already. Sulu! Your pet's turning into Spock!" Jim called out, turning his chair around. Sulu just looked back at them and rolled his eyes. "We don't need two Spock's on this ship!"

"Get over it, Captain, I like her," Uhura said from nearby, making Seiko smile at her. Again, the older woman winked just before Seiko felt something on her hand. Looking down, she saw that Spock's hand was on hers.

"Miss Yamada, if you would accompany me, the two of us will be able to make a substantial list of what will be necessary before lunch. After that, we will go over the necessary processes to acquire our findings. Does this sound reasonable to you?"

Seiko smiled and nodded wide to her commander. "Yes, sir!"


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Thank you to all that have reviewed or added this story to their favorites.

* * *

><p>Chapter Nine<p>

Before lunch, Spock and Seiko had managed to write up a list of exactly what they wanted to study as well as what Star Fleet had asked of them. The list wasn't as extensive as Seiko had thought it would be.

Any soil deposit

Rock particles from alternate altitudes and surfaces

Metal formations inside of crevices and on surface

Any plant life (if applicable)

Anything of distinguishable colour

Seiko was looking at the list in the lab, attempting to weed out which would be best to collect first and by whom, when Spock stood in front of her after collecting some data on his PADD. Looking up, she saw that the Commander was staring at her with a light in his eyes. Since their small argument in Sick Bay, he seemed to be in a better mood, though he wouldn't admit to having any mood at all.

"I'll assume you've found what you needed to, Commander," she said before clipping the list of their required items onto the counter. Even without a draft or open window, Seiko found that papers still disappeared nowadays. Maybe the PADDs were out to get any remaining writing staple in an attempt to destroy competition. Seiko almost laughed at that.

"I have. It is time, however, for us to attain a meal before you read them over. I would not wish for you to collapse under the pressure of knowledge," he said with a slight attempt at humor at the end. Seiko was astonished that he was able to do something like that, since as far as she knew, the Vulcan race was resistant to joking of all kinds.

"If I were to be crushed under anything, Commander, it would be that inflated confidence you have in me."

As the two walked out of the lab and towards the mess hall, Spock regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "I feel that in our situation, it is better to feel overconfident rather than a lack thereof."

"But what if there happens to be a case that you expect too much of me and I end up screwing up? Isn't it better to underestimate yourself in life or death situations?" she asked.

"Would you rather go into such a situation feeling that you couldn't complete your mission and not bother attempting, or would you go in feeling you can and possibly gain from 'mind over matter'? In my opinion, though it seems cliché, as humans call it, if you believe that you are capable of exacting the outcome you wish, then you will. Anything less than perfect confidence will lead you to death."

Seiko nodded and looked at him with a weird look on her face. "You know, you're kind of grim, Spock. If I didn't know any better, I'd call you the Grim Reaper."

Spock didn't say anything to her remark and only led her to the replicators. He allowed her to go first and watched her choice in food, which consisted of tamales with salsa roja, Spanish rice and black beans as well as a large soda. He looked down at her and tilted his head. "You desire food of the Hispanic cuisine?" he asked, his eyes amused.

"There are many things that my parents aren't aware of, Commander. Getting rid of homemade food to eat Mexican food is one of them. I happen to enjoy Mexican food," she said, slightly affronted that Spock would think she ate Japanese food all the time.

"I was simply questioning my observation. It was not intended to question your merit, Miss Yamada."

Seiko shrugged and watched Spock get his food. He had chosen a salad again as well as a small bowl of soup. After such, he nodded his head to her and led the way to a table close to a window to look outside. With the mess hall lit as it was and the two of them sitting across from one another, one might think it was a romantic setting. There was the rushing of blood to Seiko's face as she thought about it.

"May I ask you something?" Spock asked, his fingers steepled in front of him on the table. When she nodded and took a bite of rice, Spock looked her in the eye, curiosity filling his own. "What do you look for in the opposite gender?"

Seiko could have choked at that moment, and had to cough loudly. Banging on her own chest for a moment, she held up a finger for him to wait and had to drink a large portion of her soda before she could breathe again. When she did, she saw that Spock was still waiting for an answer.

"Um… I'm not sure, actually."

"You are not sure?"

"Well, I guess I look for someone that has enough intelligence to converse with but not so much that they flaunt it. If they keep it secret, then I can handle that," Seiko said after a bit of thinking. She hesitated for a moment but Spock nodded for her to go on. "Um… Someone that can express themselves without needing to be a baby about it as well as keep their cool under harsh conditions. They also need to be understanding of my limits."

"Limits? I was unaware that you had such a thing," Spock said brightly.

"Haha, Spock. Yes, I have limits. Such as, I won't fuck on the first date or the second or the third. I need to be in a committed relationship for that. That's why I'm a vir…. Well, was a virgin," she said sheepishly and looked down at her food. The two sat in awkward silence as they ate a bit, but it didn't seem like Spock was finished yet with his questioning.

"And physically?"

Sighing, the girl rested her head on her arms with her eyes closed for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what her type, physically, was. "Well, I guess I like the tall, dark and handsome look. I'm mostly attracted to men with dark features, obviously taller than myself, and well built. If I could push the guy over, that is not sturdy enough."

"I see. If he were not engaged in a relationship with Mr. Chekov, would you have an interest in Mr. Sulu?"

She had to laugh. She felt bad about it, but she did. Spock's eyebrow rose into his hair and she shook her head. "No way. Hikaru's chisai. Tiny. If anyone were to fit the bill, excluding present company, Bones would. Though he's too… grumpy for my tastes."

Suddenly, a tray appeared next to Seiko's and she looked up to see none other than Sulu with Chekov in tow. "Hey, guys! Can we sit here?"

"Of course, Mr. Sulu," Spock said as he inclined his head and went back to his soup.

"What were you guys talking about? It better not have been me, Seiko or I'll-"

"Yes, it was completely about you, Hikaru. God, you have a big head."

"Yep. And Pav would know!" Sulu said, making Chekov's face turn bright red and Seiko laugh. "I'm just kidding, Pav. You know I am."

"Spock, Hikaru's being gross!" Seiko whined, making her seem like more of a child than she was. His raised eyebrow told her so. "But he is! Don't give me that look!"

"I find it rather interesting that you can be quite intelligent, yet act like a young child the next moment," he said. She knew he was making fun of her, so she stuck her tongue out.

"Now, kids, stop fighting," an amused voice said, making Seiko look up. "Seiko, get outta my seat."

"Well, look who the bully is!" she scoffed at him before she picked up her tray and began to move to a different table. She'd rather sit at a table with Sulu's inflated ego than Jim Kirk's. She was stopped, however, by someone grabbing onto her arm. When she looked, she laughed. Of course it was Spock.

"I thought Vulcan don't really touch people," she said, amused by the green tint in his ears. He glanced at the table and moved over slightly.

"Please do not take what the Captain says to be fact. He believes that because I am his first officer, he must sit across from me at all meals. Though I would like him to know that I had purposely chosen to spend my meal time with you. Not him," Spock said, trying to bring his point across in a way that no one would be offended.

Jim did end up looking offended just because he was Jim. "Spock, I thought we were doing so well together!" he cried out before he looked sadly at Uhura, who was moving to sit next to him. "Uhura, Spock doesn't want to be my friend anymore."

"Captain, I did not mean…"

"Who in their right mind would want to be friends with you, Captain," Uhura said sarcastically and smirked. "Seiko, don't ever listen to the Captain."

The banter between everyone brought a smile to Seiko's face. Even Sulu and Chekov were getting in on making fun of Jim. As she sat next to Spock, she ate her food in peace, knowing that this was a crew she could get used to.

A glance to the left showed that Spock was listening to the others while subconsciously placing reasonably proportioned fork-fulls of salad into his mouth. Three bites of salad, a sip of water, two spoons of soup. This order was meticulous, and Seiko was in awe that he had the ability to do so while not paying attention.

"Is there something about me that makes you lose focus on your meal, Seiko?" Spock asked suddenly, his brown eyes turning to her. She looked away quickly and could nearly feel the smile in Spock's eyes as he watched her. "Well?"

"It's nothing."

"There must be something. Otherwise, you would not have devoted the last four minutes and 23.6 seconds to watching me."

Seiko laughed slightly into her drink. Spock was such a super computer. Taking a large mouthful of soda, she swallowed slowly and looked back at him. "It's nothing, really. It's just your way of eating. You aren't even paying attention to it, yet you keep the same pattern."

The edge of Spock's lip twitched, making her think he would smile. When he didn't, she wasn't worried. His eyes were bright enough to note one. "I believe we should be getting to your reading, Seiko," he said as he took her empty tray with his own and stood. She followed, like an obedient puppy and waved at the others.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say they had a thing for each other," Sulu said, watching Seiko jog out of the room with Spock.

Jim only smiled to himself. Uhura matched him.

* * *

><p>For the past three hours, Seiko had been sitting on a stool in the lab, reading from Spock's PADD while he was checking their equipment for the morning. She'd gone through five instruction manuals and knew all of them by heart. She'd never memorized so much at once before and knew this had to be some of Spock's training.<p>

After eight manuals, she rubbed her eyes and put the PADD down. Spock had been looking through microscopes after he had completed his work. "I can't hold in any more. There are too many words buzzing through my brain," so he said softly, feeling, rather than hearing, Spock walk to her.

"How many did you manage to get through?"

"Eight."

Spock's fingers found Seiko's face and brushed her hair from her eyes. "It will all settle into its proper positions soon enough. The goal of this exercise was to see how much space you had at any given moment. We will progress steadily to expand this over the next few days. The manuals, however, were of the upmost importance. As I cannot specifically train you for attaining samples in the next three hours, reading will have to do for now."

Nodding, Seiko smiled up at the commander and stretched a bit. Looking at the clock, she felt her jaw drop. "It's only 6? Really? I thought it was so much longer."

"Time in space does not adhere to the same rules as that of Earth, remember."

Without a word, the two left the lab at that point and went towards the Mess Hall. Seiko found Sulu on the way and talked to him about the comet he was supposed to be steering them towards. Jim on the other hand found Spock and forced him to walk a few paces behind the two Japanese that were talking in their native tongue.

"Is your course on schedule, Mr. Spock?" Jim asked, his smile reaching his eyes.

"Fascinatingly enough, Captain, it is. I believe my course will take me to most favorable results."

Jim only clapped his friend on the shoulder before they went to get food and join the others. He could see Spock's eyes light up when Seiko pushed Sulu out of the way so that she could make room for him. "Target acquired."


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Thank you to all that have reviewed or added this story to their favorites.

I'm sorry for the tardiness and unusual quality of this chapter. I hope that those of you that have been, or are currently enrolled in school can understand. Please forgive me.

Chapter Ten

The bed was bouncy, much different from what Seiko had expected when Spock asked her if she wanted the room beside his own. The warmth and a full stomach were making her a little drowsy, but she had to keep her eyes open. Spock wanted to speak to her before she was gone for the night.

"Wake up!" she yelled at herself, smacking her face lightly and shaking her head. Jumping up, she started to jog in place, making sure to keep her eyes focused on the door. "Gotta stay awake."

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang and Seiko pressed the button to unlock it. In the doorway was Spock, an eyebrow disappearing into his hair from the scene before him. "Seiko, may I ask what you are doing?"

Still running in place, Seiko looked up at him and smiled sheepishly. "Trying to stay awake. Between the warmth in here and the food, I'm about to pass out, but you wanted to see me, so I have to keep myself awake so that you don't get mad at me, because I'm sure you want to talk about the mission tomorrow, and I don't want to look like a newbie, and-"

"Seiko, please stop running and breathe. You are exhausted, I'm sure, so please sit," he said, amused and moved to sit in the chair next to the bed. When she sat, her eyes immediately closed, but she shook herself awake. "I am astonished that you are able to keep yourself conscious, Seiko. After recent events as well as the warmth in your quarters, that is."

Nodding, Seiko smiled and lulled a bit before she patted the seat next to her. "Would you like to sit here? That chair probably isn't too comfort…"

With a short nod and a quick movement, Spock sat beside Seiko and caught her. "I believe we should discuss this in the morning, Seiko. I only wanted to let you know that I will be here early to awake you. I also wanted to see what you retained from your readings, though I'm unsure whether or not you'd be able to answer my inquiries."

Seiko didn't answer as her head fell sideways onto Spock's shoulder, causing him to tense. When he looked down, he saw that her eyes were closed. The edges of his lips turned up slightly as he started to lean with Seiko onto the bed. Before she could fall from his shoulder, he grabbed her shoulders and rested her onto her pillow. She didn't even stir.

"Perhaps we shall speak in the morning," Spock said in a low voice, brushing her hair from her face. He would only admit to himself that he wished he could stay, but he had many things to do before they landed on the comet in the morning. He'd let her sleep for now.

Moving to stand up from the bed, the Vulcan felt a hand on his. When he looked down, he saw Seiko's fingers wrapped around his and a small rush of contentment ran through his hands. She was comfortable with him around her, and he could say the same. Sitting back down at her side, he watched for a moment or two longer before a small push in his mind forced him forward.

Without thinking about what exactly he was doing, Spock's lips brushed against the sleeping girl's cheek, a rush of warmth spreading through the both of them. Spock's eyes had slid shut while his lips searched for a new target. Seiko's lips were just that, and upon touching them, the Vulcan jumped away from her and covered his mouth.

Wiping his mouth, Spock left the room, hoping not to turn back. Nevertheless, it couldn't be helped.

* * *

><p>Pulling on her boots, Seiko heard the doorbell ring and pressing a button, she saw someone she hadn't be expecting that morning. "Oh. Hey, Hikaru!"<p>

"Hey, Akuma-chan."

"My name is not Akuma-chan, jerk."

"Oh, relax. At least you aren't Chibi like Pavel. He doesn't understand what that means," Sulu said as he leaned against the doorway and laughed.

"Poor guy. What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be licking whipped cream off of said Russian right now?" she asked, looking up at her male counterpart.

"Should be, but Spock asked me to come get you."

Seiko stopped for a moment and looked at him. "But… He said he'd be coming himself."

"Seems he's a bit under the weather. He wants to just get everything done with so that the two of you can have the rest of the day off."

She could feel her heart fall slightly at the news that Spock just wanted to get everything done so that he could disappear, most likely into the lab. With a short sigh, Seiko stood and followed Sulu to the transporter room where the Commander was already on the pad with a blue suit on. His eyes rested anywhere but on her.

"Here ya go, lass," a man in red told her while handing her a red suit, one that would proclaim her cadet standing, had she been one. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched slightly as she pulled it on. It wasn't his fault that she had to wear it, but she wondered why Spock wasn't going to bother correcting him.

The suit was a bit snug for Seiko's tastes, but once it was zipped up, it felt just like a second skin. Pulling on the helmet, she picked up a bag that Spock had left waiting for her. She joined him on the pad.

"Alright, guys. If you can call me before the time limit ends, that would be fantastic. I don't think Mr. Sulu would like to dodge asteroids as I attempt to get a lock on ya. I'll give you guys fifty-five minutes, then I'm beamin' ya back up."

"Of course, Mr. Scott. Energize," Spock said behind his mask. Rings of light appeared around both crewmembers and they were gone.

* * *

><p>The first glimpse that Seiko got of the sky beyond the comet was indescribable. Her heart leapt in her throat at the sheer beauty of being hurled through space on a small chunk of rock while staring at the billions of stars beyond it. "Wow…"<p>

"Miss Yamada, we have a job to do," Spock's low voice said to her, pulling her out of her stargazing. She glanced at him for a moment before taking out her PADD to begin retrieving her items.

The list was quite short, two items in fact. She knew that they had written more on the list and she was appalled that Spock would only give her things that a security office could manage.

-Any Plant Life (If Applicable)

-Anything of Distinguishable Colour

"You've gotta be kidding me," she hissed and started to stamp around the surface of the comet, looking for what she had while Spock was kneeling a few feet away, collecting his samples.

_What the hell happened after I fell asleep that he won't talk to or look at me?_ She asked herself as she looked on the ground. _Did I say something that made him uncomfortable?_

Seiko couldn't focus on what she was doing as long as Spock ignored her. She was walking towards a few craters when she noticed something she hadn't been expecting. Plant life, maybe. Something of colour, sure. But a stark white skull was definitely not on her list.

"Spock?" she called out, staring at the empty pits that once held eyes full of wonder and possibly intelligence. Bending towards the item and kneeling beside it, her gloved fingers trained over its polished surface. It was human, or at least humanoid. Though the canines in front were a bit too long.

"What is it?" Spock asked, appearing by her side. His boots didn't move an inch when he saw what Seiko was touching. "Please remove your hands."

"But…"

"Remove them." Pulling out his communication device, Spock stared at the stars. "Mr. Scott. Please beam Ms. Yamada on board. I must finish something here and will contact you."

"Yes, sir."

"Wait! Spock!" Seiko yelled as she tried to grab him. He pulled away from her reach and the light around her swirled and took her back to the Enterprise. Reappearing, Seiko yanked off her helmet and threw it across the room. "Damn it!"

"What's wrong, Yamada?"

"Spock's a bastard, that's what's wrong!" she yelled, dropping the bag that Spock hadn't taken and stomped out of the room. Upon her departure, she only heard a sigh and then more communication between the engineer, Spock, and most likely the bridge.

Seiko wasn't paying attention to where she was going in the least, so when she banged into someone with her shoulder, she was caught off guard, but she didn't stop. She was too frustrated to bother.

"Ya know, you could say sorry. You better be lucky that I'm the Chief Medical Officer here, or else you'd be thrown off this ship for unnecessary roughness with a co-worker!" Bone's voice drifted to her, though the further away she got, the louder he became. "Hey! Are you listening to me or not?"

She wasn't listening. The only one that she would listen to at this point was Jim, and not by choice. He was the captain. Seiko couldn't really deny his superior position, as much as he irritated her sometimes. But she sure as hell wasn't going to be listening to her "master" anytime soon.

Punching in the code for her room, Seiko rushed in, let the door close and leaned against it, her eyes tearing up. This had been the first chance that she could actually put her knowledge and abilities to use and that stupid skull had gotten in her way. Whatever died on that comet had better have a good reason for it, in Seiko's opinion. Otherwise, she was going to find out what happened, find a way to resurrect the being and then kill it again.

* * *

><p>It felt like hours that Seiko leaned against her door, her tears streaming silently down her cheeks. She wasn't entirely sure why she continued to cry after the initial outburst, but she did know that it involved Spock. Had he been offended by her inviting him to sit on the bed last night? Or worse, did she make a move on him in her tired state?<p>

Seiko was horrified with the possibilities and sobbed into her knees at the prospect of making a fool of herself. _If it had been anyone else. Whatever I did, why couldn't it have been with someone else?_ she groaned in her skull, making her heart lurch in sadness. Now that she had done…whatever it was that she did, Spock was going to treat her as any other member of the crew. She wouldn't be his… favorite?

"That's usually the word," she whispered to herself and dragged her body towards her bed. She didn't actually work on the _Enterprise_, and she wasn't getting paid to be here, so she might as well take advantage of the rejection that Spock had sent her way.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you can't do anything about it? I thought you were Admiral Pike of Star Fleet! You are one of the most profound men that I've seen take over in the Federation! We can't just leave a few dozen skeletal bodies out on the comet to burn up like nothing happened! It's our job to find out why they were there!" Jim yelled at the screen in disbelief when the man he had come to admire told him to leave the skeletons alone and leave them out of their reports.<p>

The older man sighed from the Captain's outburst and shook his head. "Yes, it is our job, Kirk, but those skeletons could have appeared at any time in the comet's journey. Hell, those things could have been buried before and the comet's constant disintegration and restoration brought them to the surface. Hell, they could have come from someplace outside of Federation territory, something we haven't explored yet."

"Then shouldn't we at least take samples, Admiral? If this is the case, wouldn't it be better to study these anomalies for the sake of science?" Spock asked, having stood relatively quiet next to the Captain's chair up until now.

"Fine, do whatever you want. Take samples, get the things on board. Keep them locked up until you get back to Earth. I don't want anyone getting into these and believing that we were part of some conspiracy to destroy the other life forms in the universe," Admiral Pike said with disdain. He couldn't argue with either man, having too much respect for their points of view. "By the way. Spock, you said that Cadet Yamada found these skeletons. Where is she now?"

"I am unsure, Admiral. I had had Mr. Scott beam her aboard after her discovery and have not seen her since then."

Bones grunted and shook his head, while Jim was telling the science crew to suit up as quickly as possible to retrieve the bones. "I can tell you that. The little pan face-"

"_Excuse me_?" Sulu growled, turning in his seat to stare at the disgruntled CMO. The older man's eyes widened and then looked down.

"I apologize. I fear that my ex-wife is getting to me after all this time." Though he continued to glare, Sulu nodded and Pike motioned for him to go on. "Well, she rammed into me earlier, wearing a red space suit. Must have come from the transporter room, I guess. She wasn't happy, and looked to be going towards her room. She wouldn't listen to me."

With another sigh, Pike leaned back in his chair and shook his head. "Spock, I told you to watch her. She has high emotions, being a teen. If you piss her off, she'll likely storm off or end up blowing someone up."

"I believe that Cadet Yamada has found a stability in which her emotions do not render bystanders as targets. After the rape, I believe she's found a unique balance that will keep her in check."

Everyone on the bridge winced when Spock mentioned the rape as casually as he did. Even Jim looked up at him in distress. The whole ship knew that something had happened and that the security officer that orchestrated the attack had a broken arm, even when the Commander had attempted to take his life.

"Spock, I want you to go see that she is stable. I don't want some teenager to be in control of the ship just because she has some anger issues."

Sulu piped up and shook his head. "Sir, with all due respect, you have no idea the sort of person that Seiko is."

"And you know her so very well, do you, Sulu?"

"All I'm saying is that don't judge her so harshly. She was terrified of what she did that day, and probably lives in fear of what happened to her. Show some damn sympathy. She's a kid. Imagine if that happened to your daughter. Would you blow it off as some surplus of emotion? No. You'd go out and do what you could for her before you slaughtered the men that did it to her. That's what Spock had attempted to do, because he cares about her, and –"

"That is enough, Mr. Sulu," a voice said, surprising everyone. The voice came from none other than Bones. "Just let it go. I'll go see to her." With that, the CMO was gone to check up on the part Mari that was probably blowing things up in her room at that very second.

Spock's eyes travelled with Bones until the doors to the lift closed and cut him off from view. Sulu noticed and sighed quietly. A look from Chekov made his eyes narrow in warning. It was going to be a very long day, and it was only 1000 hours.


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Thank you to all that have reviewed or added this story to their favorites.

Please forgive me. The chapter stops abruptly and I wanted to take it somewhere else...

Chapter Ten

The doorbell was buzzing, making Seiko groan into the dark sheets of her bed. Her hand moved to the wall and pressed the button for the person to enter so that she wouldn't have to get up.

"Seiko, get your ass out of bed," the growling voice of Bones said to her, making her look out from under her blankets and glare at him. "Don't give me that fucking look. Get up."

"Blow me, McCoy," she hissed before pulling them back over her head. She heard a sigh and then someone sitting on the bed beside her. "What are you doing here?"

"Pike asked Spock to check up on you, but he didn't seem to want to. So I stepped up. What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked quietly, though he didn't seem too malicious in asking.

But that wasn't going to make Seiko tell him.

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that bullshit. You're in love with Spock, aren't you?"

Seiko's eyes widened under the covers and shook her head. "No, I am not." She couldn't be, could she? Sure, she felt comfortable around him and enjoyed working with him. And of course, she was very thankful to him for helping her in regards to her education and the whole Cadet Malory thing. At the thought of being in love with the man that had sent her back to the ship on her first actual mission, she felt the need to blow something up emerge.

Though the initial meditation and rape circumstances helped Seiko control herself, she couldn't at this point and on the other side of the room, a forgotten cup of tea exploded, shards of clay flying around the room.

"Holy shit! What the fuck did you do?"

"Don't ever say that I'm in love with that emotionless jerk," she mumbled. When she felt the comforter leave her body, she looked up at Bones with dark eyes. "Give me that back."

What Bones saw was the Japanese girl still in the red suit holding a book whos title was in Vulcan. His eyes widened slightly and pulled her out of the bed. "Get the fuck up. You need to tell him before he gets rid of you for your ridiculous actions this morning."

"There's nothing to tell!" she yelled back at him before he grabbed her shoulders. "Let go of me!"

When Bones' lips met hers, she nearly screamed in frustration. A flash of Spock appeared in her head, him being the one that was touching her and holding her still. It felt like wires were sparking in her chest, but she wasn't thrilled about it. Shoving Bones off of her, he slammed into her desk and she jumped over her bed and sat in the corner watching him.

"Seiko, I-"

"Get out and stay out!" she screamed before the desk behind him exploded into toothpicks and the sink in her bathroom started to squeal with the sound of sonic rays on the walls. Bones didn't need to be told twice before he ran out of her room and things began to pile in front of the door.

Spock had followed Bones to Seiko's room, unsure what the man would do in such a situation as confronting the girl. He was sure the man could handle it, but to have backup and not need it was certainly better than needing backup and not having it. As the Vulcan turned the corner for Seiko's room, he saw Bones entering before him. He stayed back until the door closed and then leaned against the wall beside it. With his hearing, he could make out both voices, though Seiko's was a bit muffled.

"Seiko, get your ass out of bed. Don't give me that fucking look. Get up," the doctor said while Seiko's response was rather derogatory. The two shot responses back to each other until Bones called her out. "You're in love with Spock, aren't you?"

He listened intently for her response, though when it came, he felt like something just used a battering ram on his abdomen, forcing his heart out of his back. If anyone where to pass him, they wouldn't see any change in his demeanor but inside, he felt like he was falling. Falling to the floor, out of the airlock, and into the nearest star only to become a small burst of energy for the necessary fusion.

Beyond his internal destruction, Spock could hear the two of them arguing inside the room. There was a brief moment of silence before Seiko screamed in distaste, followed by a loud thump. She started screaming at Bones and things were blowing up. In seconds, Bones was in the hall and large thumps were hitting the wall behind him.

"Holy fucking shit! She's fucking nuts!" Bones yelled, checking his body for anything that would have caused him harm. Spock was silent for a moment before he stepped away from the wall that had been holding him.

"She seems angry with you."

Bones glanced at the Commander and rolled his eyes. "Of course she is. I was stupid enough to kiss her. Almost blasted me to smithereens. Really thankful you taught her to control herself."

In a rare moment of lapse in judgment, Spock slammed Bones into the opposite wall and stared into his eyes. "You… You kissed her?" he asked quietly, his hand wrapping around the doctor's neck slowly in an attempt to calm himself. If he was on the level of Seiko at the moment, he was sure that he would probably have broken the man's neck.

"Get your damn hands off me, Vulcan," Bones growled back, showing his dislike for the man. He didn't keep it a secret, but he usually never showed it to him.

"Why did you press yourself upon her?" Spock demanded, releasing his grip only slightly. He wasn't afraid of a human.

"You can't leave any for the rest of us, can you? You just have to sweep all of them off of their feet and then shove them to the side as you act all high and mighty," he hissed, his own hand grabbing Spock's collar.

The man's statement confused him. "To what are you referring, Doctor?" he asked, spitting the man's title as if it was rotten in his mouth.

"Seiko. Uhura. They fall in love with you and you treat them like toys you can play with when you feel like it. I kissed her to know if that was the case or not."

Spock's fingers tightened reflexively and his dark eyes bore into his captive. "You would push yourself upon a minor, one that had recently experienced the first and worst sexual experience of her life, expecting her to answer your inquiries about having romantic feelings towards myself? Ones in which she has denied?"

"What's going on here?" a voice interrupted them, causing both men to look at Jim and Uhura in the middle of the hallway. Spock immediately released Bones and backed away a moment, glaring at him. "Spock. Bones?"

Spock said nothing but cast a look at Uhura, one that was full of apologies he wouldn't be able to voice in the general vicinity. Uhura hadn't been a toy, but he would admit to his mistake to treating her inappropriately.

"Nothing, Jim. Just Spock and I discussing something."

Jim looked unconvinced and looked between the two. "What was it about?"

"Seiko."

It had been Uhura that spoke, but she wasn't looking at the men in front of her. She was looking to the side of the hall behind Spock. At Seiko's door. The men turned and saw that Seiko was standing there, her suit ripped up and her hands bleeding. Her eyes were red from crying and her hair was matted. She swayed once and then she was in Spock's arms.

"I have such… bad luck," she whispered before Spock was down the hall, heading for the Medical Bay. It didn't take much after him to make Bones follow, slightly still hysterical about her anger issues.

"I swear… If those two don't learn to cut the shit out, I'm going to have to throw them in the same cell together," Jim muttered as the couple followed.

"McCoy and Spock or Spock and Seiko?"

"I think I'm going to do both and separate times…"

Waking up in the Medical Bay was not something that Seiko was beginning to enjoy and made a promise to herself to not make a habit of. As she sat, she looked at her damaged hands and heaved a large sigh. The memories of how it happened escaped her and her confusion alerted the Vulcan speaking with a nurse in hushed tones.

"Seiko? Would you like to discuss what happened with me?" he asked quietly as he sat in the chair he had always occupied whenever she came to Medical. A sideways glance told him her exact answer. "I believe that would be a no, though I am not experienced in reading human facial expressions. I never found it necessary until now."

"No, I do not want to talk about it," Seiko whispered and let her hair fall into her face as her head dropped.

"May I inquire as to what has made you saddened?" he asked.

"Thinking about something McCoy said."

Spock caught her tone and name choice immediately. "You call him Bones, usually, do you not? Is there reasoning behind this change?"

"Yeah, he's absolutely nuts," she said calmly with a slight edge in her voice. Her eyes flickered to where Bones was typing on his PADD, causing her to scowl. "He says that I am in love with you."

Spock was silent for a moment, thinking that she would elaborate, but when this didn't come, he looked at her eyes. They were filled with confusion, resentment and something else he didn't usually see in humans. "You feel that this is true?"

"I don't know anymore."

Spock was quiet for a moment before he reached for Seiko's hand, a small gleam in his eyes indicating a smile. "Then I believe that I should prepare a meal for you as we talk about our cultural differences and personal similarities."


	12. Chapter 12

I do not own anything other than Yamada Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Thank you to all that have reviewed or added this story to their favorites.

Back to purpose.

* * *

><p>Chapter Twelve<p>

Seiko had said no immediately after Spock proposed his idea of a "dinner date." There was no chance in high hell she'd be getting that close to him. She was sure that he was only giving out the idea because she was angry at him and he didn't want to have his student angry. Vulcan weren't especially violent people, unlike the history of the Mari. Well, from what the girl could see, Spock might be the exception to that rule.

"No?"

Seiko was silent for a moment, her eyes downcast in embarrassment. Spock sounded confused, but the gleam in his eye was disappearing rapidly. "That is correct, Commander."

"May I ask why?" Spock didn't seem to want to let up with his idea. Any other time that she would have disagreed, he would have shrugged it off and continued on his way. Now, he was just poking around for information that she wasn't willing to give up.

"Well…"

Their conversation, if Seiko could really call it that, was interrupted by a beep over the intercom and then Jim's voice. "All crew members, this is your captain. A change in our course has been asked and we will be headed for Earth immediately. Upon arrival, all crew members, except a select few, will be on leave for seventy-two hours or until current issues have been resolved. Please prepare for landing."

"What was that about? Who changed our course?" Seiko asked, looking at the Vulcan beside her who was now standing, going for the door. "Commander!"

"I am going to find out the reason for our new direction and will return briefly," he said as he disappeared out the door. Not a second later, Bones was following.

"Damn men…"

* * *

><p>"Captain, I do not understand. Admiral Pike assured me that in light of recent circumstances, Miss Yamada would not be put on trial," Spock said as he glared at his captain. He wasn't pleased.<p>

"The summons was not dispatched by Admiral Pike, Spock. You knew just as well as I did that because of her racial background, regardless of what Malory did to her, she'd have to stand trial. To the Mari, it is illegal for her to have violent thoughts and they have agreed with our government and Malory's family to bring her to court," Jim said, his face contorting into a frown.

"Isn't there anything we can do? She didn't know she was Mari," Uhura asked her hands tracing invisible designs on the conference table. She was shifting her attention from Spock to Jim and then to Sulu.

"She's right. How would she have known that she had Mari blood? Her parents didn't seem to mind her blowing things up back home. She even told me that they ignored it until she blew up the dog and took her to a research lab for experiments," Sulu said, adding to the information of the girl's background that they had.

Jim sighed and looked out the window of the room for a moment. Spock knew that Jim had no idea what to do. Neither did he. "Captain, I cannot stand by and watch them take her. I made a point that I would not allow others to harm her in any way. The Mari are no exception," he said with a steady voice, though he could barely trust it. "Whether you are with us or not, I will ensure that she is not penalized for her actions due to an incoherent family history and neglect."

"Spock, you know I'm with you," Jim said and clapped his friend on the arm. "The only issue is that many people aren't going to believe that she didn't know about her Mari heritage. If we could somehow prove to them that she had no idea, that it was an accident-"

"You can leave that to me, Captain. Miss Yamada is my charge, and I will do what is necessary in regards to her wellbeing. All I ask you to do is to keep the good doctor away from her," Spock said, shooting a glance at said doctor. All the man did was give him the finger and stood up from the table.

"What do you mean? What did Bones do?" Jim asked, frantically looking between them. Spock, though calm on the outside with the slightest narrowing of the eyes, was screaming on the inside, throwing the doctor around the walls of his skull.

"I would say that in regards to Miss Yamada, he is no better than Officer Malory."

* * *

><p>Spock sat beside Seiko's bed, as she ate, nursing a black eye. Every time she would look at him, she laughed a small bit and shook her head. "I am glad that I amuse you, Seiko," he said in a weary tone, but never got rid of his rigid stature.<p>

"It's your own fault, Commander. Or should I say Captain, now?" she asked, seeing him wince at the formality. Well, he only said that she didn't have to call him Commander in private. She never asked about calling him Captain, because it never came up. "If you hadn't said that about the doctor, Jim wouldn't have punched you."

"I have my reasons."

Seiko only nodded and turned back to her food. She pushed the salad around in the ranch dressing and sighed lightly. When she had heard what Spock had said about McCoy and Jim's reaction, she was slightly flattered. She didn't agree with him, as all he did was kiss her, but it was nice to know that her commanding officer was protective. She couldn't even remember why she got so angry at McCoy, but she wasn't going to apologize any time soon.

Spock cleared his throat slightly and Seiko looked up at him. "Can I help you, Captain?" The look he gave her was enough to give her nightmares for the rest of her life.

"Do not call me that when we are alone."

"And why is that?" she asked, taking a sip of her soda, amused at Spock's anger at being called Captain. If he didn't want the position, he shouldn't have gotten Jim all riled up.

"Nevermind. I wished to continue our previous conversation," he said, resting a small bit when he realized that Seiko was just playing around with him. "I would like to know why you said no to my invitation for a personal dinner in my quarters."

Seiko knew it was only a matter of time, but she was hoping that he would have forgotten about it. Whatever he and Jim had been talking about before he was punched in the face was unknown to her, but if it weighed heavily enough on him to openly insult McCoy, it should have crushed the memory of his earlier request. But, no. He was Vulcan, after all. He'd be able to recall what she wore the first day she met him if asked.

"Isn't it against Starfleet rules to become involved with someone of the same ship? I was under the impression that relationships between Starfleet individuals were forbidden. Especially the First Officer and acting Captain of the Enterprise," she said without any indication of how she felt about the rule.

"It is. However, I never asked for a relationship with you. I simply asked if you would join me for a meal where we could talk exclusively without being distracted," he said simply and pulled the ice from his face. Wincing, Seiko looked at the green and purple spreading across his cheekbone and over his slanted brow.

Looking at Spock, she never realized how much like chocolate his eyes were. The bruise was definitely bringing out the colour of his left eye and she had to tear her own away from his. Instead, her eyes landed on his eyebrows and unconscious of her movements, her fingers began to trace them. He didn't pull away, nor did he stop staring at her. When she got to the bruise, she traced it lightly so as not to hurt him.

"Oh," she responded and let her hand drop. "Sorry for assuming." It wasn't like she really wanted to date him. Right?

"Then may I count on you for a meal?" he asked quietly. When she just nodded absently, he gave a small smile and nodded before standing. "Then I will request that you come to my quarters at 2200 hours tomorrow evening. After the events of yesterday and this," he indicated his bruise, "today, I will have to insist."

"Whatever you think is necessary, Captain," she said quietly as she went back to her food. She didn't have to look up at him to know that Spock was concerned about her behavior, but who really wants to be told that they aren't relationship worthy by the person that they were falling for.

Seiko stopped chewing her food and stared at her blanketed feet. 'Did I really just think that? Was McCoy right?'

* * *

><p>Seiko was back to work the next day, insisting to Nurse Chapel that she wanted to continue working in the lab while Spock was acting captain and Jim was settling down. Apparently, he destroyed his own room the night before because of his intolerance of what Spock had said about his best friend. The girl was eternally grateful for the fact that Starfleet thought to add the "emotionally compromised" rule when setting it up. She didn't think she'd be able to take Jim's constant bitching over the PA systems all day long because Spock decided to stand up for her.<p>

The trip to the lab was quiet, everyone either sleeping or on duty. That was all one could do around here, at least until they docked on Earth. Spock still hadn't mentioned why that was, and Seiko felt the worst was to come. Admiral Pike said that they wouldn't bother her, but she was never very trusting of male officials. They lied often and would withhold information, just as Spock was doing currently. But she'd let him slide, since she liked him.

After Spock had left the previous evening, Seiko had begun to think about what was actually swimming around in her brain. Was she falling for Spock? Was McCoy right? He had to know how to read people, it was a part of his job. But could he tell who she felt strong feelings towards or not? She didn't think normal humans could do such a thing. Well, she didn't think humans could blow things up on a telekinetic level, either, and she'd been proven wrong only because of genetics.

"I swear to whatever is watching us right now that I do not want to have to think about this all day," she muttered to herself and opened the door to the lab. What she saw there was not what she was expecting in the least. "Doctor."

McCoy looked up from the PADD he was reading and straightened up. He looked awkward, clearly not belonging in Spock's domain. "Seiko."

"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked as she moved to one of the tables and started leafing through papers that Spock had left there.

"Actually, there is. I wanted to discuss my behavior a few days ago. I shouldn't have pushed myself upon you during your time of need. I should have been helping you with the hobgoblin rather than seeing if it was just an infatuation. I'm sorry," he whispered, looking down at the floor as he sat on a stool at the table beside hers. She looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"It's fine, McCoy. I honestly don't know what got me so angry. You were just trying to point out what you saw, and I totally freaked out on you. It was inappropriate for me to attempt to blow you up in my anger at the Commander," she said, stretching out across the table for a moment before going back to the papers. "Besides, I think you may have been right and I was just being stubborn and fighting you on it."

"So, you mean you're in love with Spock," he stated, though his tone indicated that in some way, he had been shot down. Thankfully, he didn't have far to fall.

"I'm still trying to decide if that is true or not, Doctor. For now, I will admit that I enjoy his company, regardless of the fact that he finds me undesirable on a dateable level," she said and started to look through a microscope at a sample the aforementioned Vulcan had left for her.

"What do you mean 'undesirable on a dateable level?"'

Looking up from her minor progress, Seiko smiled sadly. "He asked me to dinner with him in his quarters and when I refused, he asked why."

"Of course. He's a man, after all."

"Yeah, well, men are idiots. I told him that I knew about Starfleet's no dating policy, and he told me that he wasn't asking for a relationship with me, just a dinner. I guess because I'm a minor, his charge and his subordinate, I'm completely off-limits. Besides. Who wasn't the leftovers of a rape, anyway?" she asked and started to take the slide out of the microscope, only to add a new one.

The two of them were quiet for a moment or two, Seiko looking into the eyepiece and McCoy watching. She was too wrapped up in her work to notice that he was now sitting at her table and staring.

"You're not un-dateable. If you really have strong feelings for the bastard, you should tell him."

"Yeah, right. I can see that happening now. 'Commander, a word?' 'What is it, Cadet?' 'I'm falling in love with you.' 'I feel the same way.' Yeah. That's really gunna happen, Bones," she said, sarcastically mocking a dreamy voice and Spock's, and looked up at him. He only smirked and shook his head. "I think it'd go more along the lines of 'That's inappropriate, Miss Yamada. I will not be teaching you anymore.' Actually…"

"What?"

"I think you want me to do it so that I get kicked off the ship and you can have him! You sly fucker, you," she said in awe, laughing only when McCoy cringed.

"I have a hypo with your name on it," he threatened.

"Go ahead, Doc. Make my millennium," she responded and looked through the next slide. Then it occurred to her. "Hey. Do you know why we're going back to Earth?"

McCoy looked confused and nodded. "Spock didn't tell you?"

"Nope. Only about why he had a black eye."

"We're going back to Earth so you can stand trial for Cadet Malory's death against the government and the Mari," he said, his eyebrows furled at the look on Seiko's face; one of pure horror. "I thought he would have told you."

"No. He didn't tell me a thing," she whispered.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer : I only own Seiko (as well as supporting cast) and the plot, as this happens after the "Narada Incident."

**I would like to mention a few things before this chapter: **

First, **I am not a racist**. Every time I update this story, I look back at older chapters. Each time, I see McCoy saying "panface" and it makes me feel guilty. It offends me that I wrote that, but such is the way of writing, is it not? I am sorry to those that might have been offended by this remark and promise that such things will not continue in this story.

Second, I honestly thank you for your reviews. I'm very glad that it is being taken so well. It means a lot to me, as this is one of the first _serious_ pieces of work I have submitted online. I also thank those of you who have added this story and myself to your alert and favorite lists.

Third, you will find the Vulcan meal somewhat erratic. I was unable to find descriptions of the food, other than basics, so I took it upon myself to elaborate. If you do know the specifications for the food noted, please do not hesitate to enlighten me. Research only gets me so far.

Please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirteen<p>

Seiko's hand slapped Spock's face so hard, his head turned to the side and silence fell over the bridge. After her chat with McCoy, she had stomped all the way to the captain's chair to rip him a new one. She wasn't expecting a huge audience, but maybe he'd learn this way. "We are going back to Earth so that I can be tried for a death I didn't know how I caused?" she screamed, making Sulu stand up and pull her away from Spock. The Vulcan's expression didn't change in the slightest.

"Seiko, relax," Sulu insisted, pulling her towards the door. She was struggling with him and he could barely hold on. "Seiko-"

"Release Miss Yamada, Mister Sulu," Spock said quietly as he stood and looked towards the two. "I will not deny, that is the plan. I had not planned on telling you until we had a private setting to discuss it, but I suppose I have no choice, do I? The Mari, your ancestors, have decided to try you on the request of Cadet Malory's parents because violent thoughts are illegal. I have made it my duty to find a way to prove that you had no idea and I am currently in contact with your parents."

"M-my parents?" she stuttered, staring at Spock with wide eyes. That meant that they knew where she was and were likely to take her back home.

A sick look appeared in Spock's eyes, shining black. "Yes, your parents. And after your ignorant display, I am considering acquiescing to their request."

Sulu, who had been quiet since Spock interjected pulled a still and somewhat lifeless Seiko towards him. "And what request is that, Captain?"

Spock looked back towards the comm. and sat in the Captain's chair before glancing back at them. "They have asked to have her returned to them."

With a nod, Seiko pulled herself out of Sulu's grip and walked to the lift. He tried to follow, but she held up her hand and responded to him in their native language. "Everything's alright, Hikaru. Please, just go back to work," she whispered and disappeared.

The lift ride was fast and quiet, much like what Seiko needed right now. When it stopped on her floor, she got out and nearly ran to her room, tears threatening to fall. She was really starting to wonder how many times she was going to get into trouble with her 'act now, ask questions later' method. When the door opened, she stood in the pitch black room and breathed heavily. She needed to get over her emotions, or she'd blow something else up. Looking at the remnants of her desk, which she had attempted to clean up two days before, she sighed. Her hands her still bandaged from all the cuts she got, and she didn't realize that slapping Spock so hard had caused them to bleed again. And they hurt badly.

Her hands began to tremble as she pulled a stick of Spock's incense out of the bag he gave her, set it up on the bed stand and lit it. Blowing out the flame, she moved to sit on her bed, her legs crossed. Breathe in. Breathe out. Deep breaths.

'The only way I'm going to get out of this is to prove that I had no idea. That my parents hadn't told me,' Seiko thought to herself and slowly, an image of her home appeared behind her eyelids. It looked so real, she thought she'd be able to reach towards the shoe rack and throw them around.

Moving her consciousness forward, she began to enter the dining room, where she saw her brothers drinking sake. "You think she's okay there? I mean, she's trapped on the Enterprise with that Vulcan," Nori, the CEO of Yamada Designs whispered.

"I know what you mean. After what he told mom and dad? I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to get in line," Taka, the CEO of Yamada Technologies agreed.

Nori and Taka were Seiko's twin older brothers, both excelling in business management and technical escalation in Japan. They both had long black hair with opposite silver streaks, an indicator for a lack of melanin in that area of their skin. To Seiko, it looked like they were staring in a mirror.

"He said something about being Mari. What's a Mari?" Nori asked.

"I have no idea. Mom and dad never mentioned it. Do you think it's a genealogical aspect of our ancestry?" Taka responded and looked up. Seiko knew exactly what he was looking at and smiled. The family tree was embroidered on a tapestry in the dining room for bragging rights. "There's just Japanese names on that thing."

Nori turned around and looked, too. The two were silent before Nori scrambled up and pointed to a distant branch and his finger went through it. "Taka, come here."

Both Seiko and Taka moved forward to see that Nori's finger was going through the tapestry via a large hole with singe marks. "Looks like a cigar burn. No one's smoked them since…"

A hand on Seiko's shoulder pulled her out of her meditative state and she gasped loudly. Her eyes opened wide and the images of her brothers disappeared only to be replaced by a blue glow coming from her door. Turning her head, she looked up to see Spock. Her immediate reaction was to scuttle away from him, her back hitting the wall.

"Seiko…"

"I'm sorry!" she cried out suddenly and stared at him. Her eyes were frantic. If anyone was going to help her out of this, it was going to be him. She felt like a rug at the moment.

"Seiko, please-"

"No! I know that this is all my fault, but I know why I didn't know about my Mari ancestry and I'm sorry that I came after you to find out about it, when I should have brought it up at dinner, and I'm sorry that I listened to McCoy and didn't hear it from you first, and-"

The door shut suddenly and Spock's hand covered Seiko's mouth. "Seiko, stop." It was at that moment that tears began to stream down Seiko's face. She began to shake and whimpered. "Seiko?"

When the trembling became worse and her tears turned into sobs, Seiko could see the realization dawn on Spock's face. His hand pulled away, as if he had been burned, and her head dropped into her hands. She had no idea why she was crying. "I-I'm…"

"I shouldn't have done that. It's a psychological reaction to the…," he stopped and Seiko felt his arms wrap around her shoulders and bring her closer to him. She instinctively buried her face into his chest and sobbed. "It's alright, now, Seiko. I won't let anyone bring harm to you. Including myself."

* * *

><p>Seiko opened her eyes some time later and sighed. She figured that Spock coming into her room to hold her was just a dream. Even though he had been an asshole, it was still lovely. Turning over in bed, she noticed that the light in her bathroom was on. With a shake of her head, she got up and went to turn it off. Opening the door, she looked at the mirror and her jaw dropped.<p>

With back turned to the mirror, Spock was pulling a pair of black pants over his hips. They were nicer than the ones per regulation, same with the shirt he was wearing. She couldn't help but watch until he began to turn around. She darted from the room and landed in bed, pretending to just be getting up. She heard the light turn off and looked in his direction.

"Captain?"

"I have asked you not to call me that, Seiko. Jim has resumed his post as Captain, as of this evening, and I believe you and I have a dinner to attend," he said quietly, making Seiko nod. She figured that she couldn't deny his requests anymore. She'd come to the realization that she'd do whatever Spock said, whether as a commanding officer or anything else. "I will be in my room preparing our meal. Please take this time to dress appropriately and gather yourself." With that, he left her alone in her room.

* * *

><p>Seiko glared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was up and she was wearing the dress reds of the cadets. After the whole problem with Comet Archer, she decided to wait it out and see if she was still allowed the dress blues. Until that time, she decided to act according to regulation, probably for the first time since arriving.<p>

Walking out of her room, she turned her head to the left and sighed. She had almost forgotten that Spock had arranged for her room to be next to him, much as it was in the dorms in California. The few steps to his door were strangely taking a long time to cover and when she was standing in front of it, she felt nervous.

'I should have brought something. Maybe wine. Maybe I should go back?' she thought to herself, but before she could turn around, the door opened to a slightly surprised Spock.

"I was wondering what was taking you and planned to retrieve you myself," he said before stepping to the side and holding his hand out. "Please. If you sit at the table, I will be with you in a moment."

Walking in, she heard the door close and lock. She had to settle her breathing if she didn't want to die of hyperventilation. Looking around the room, Seiko noticed that Spock's room was considerably larger than her own, having a dining area as well as a small kitchenette on the wall connecting both rooms. Hesitating, she walked to the table, which was already set with two deep blue pillar candles alight. She noticed that the table settings weren't across from each other but adjacent and very close. One already had a half-full glass of wine beside the plate, obviously Spock's.

Pulling out the chair for herself, she sat quietly and fidgeted slightly. Spock had returned to the kitchenette, and though she could see him over the breakfast bar, she felt like he was cut off completely. She wasn't entirely opposed to this, as the nervous butterflies in her stomach were starting to turn into stinging bees buzzing in her ears.

"I hope that you do not mind a vegetarian meal, Seiko, as you know my eating habits," he said when he walked in, carrying a large bowl of dark green salad. She shook her head and smiled weakly. He noticed that there was only one glass and went to retrieve another, a black bottle of wine in his hand. "Forgive me. I know you are a minor, but…"

"I've had wine before, Spock. It's necessary sometimes to entertain my brothers' workers," she said before he nodded and poured crimson wine into her glass. She could see that his eyes were bright and the edges of his mouth were beginning to pull into a smile. "Is this wine from Vulcan?"

"It is. My mother gave it to me before…," he stopped and shook his head, looking Seiko in the eye. "She said to drink it with someone special and though I didn't quite understand her, I believe it would be appropriate to do so with you."

Seiko's face grew hot and she was sure that it was as red as the wine. Oh, she knew exactly what his mother had meant, but if he didn't, she wasn't going to tell him any time soon. It would be too awkward for her, especially with the budding feelings she was beginning to have for the Vulcan.

A moment later, Spock returned to the dining table with two plates of food. Looking up at him, Seiko smiled. He nodded back to her and ducked his head when he went back into the kitchen. "How much did you make, Spock?" she asked and laughed lightly when he came in with two bowls and a green sheen to his face.

"I simply wished for all bases to be covered, Seiko. This is all," he said and placed a soup in front of her. It looked like the stuff he had been eating at lunch. "This is all Vulcan cuisine. If you do not like it, please tell me and I can offer you something different," he said as he sat down and watched her.

Seiko was hesitant, but brought the spoon of soup to her mouth and instantly groaned deeply. The taste wasn't anything like what she thought it would be. It had a sweet taste, as if she were drinking the nectar of a flower, but beneath it was a spicy flavor that she'd associate with jalapeno or even habanero. Its temperature was pleasantly hot and when it traveled to her stomach, she could feel the effects tingle through every part of her body. When she looked at Spock in a daze, she smiled.

"Is it to your liking, Seiko?" he asked, though she saw in his eyes that he knew the answer. He looked smug, though his face was blank. When she nodded, he nodded back to her and took a spoonful of his own. She mirrored his actions, taking a few spoonfuls and giggled slightly when the feeling intensified. He only stared at her before she left the spoon and looked to her plate.

In one corner of the square plate, there was a large chunk of something pinkish, but gooey. She glanced at Spock to see that he was just watching her, his eyebrows arched in wonder. On the opposite corner, she looked at the delicate petals of a flower surrounded stylishly with cut golden stalks. On the plate closest to her, she smiled at a small pyramid of deep green squares, something she recognized seeing in the book that Spock had lent to her.

"Rillian teaberry melon. I wasn't aware that you dabbled in creating sex lubricants, Spock," she said with a slight smile. His eyebrows furled and a soft green reappeared on his cheeks. She was interested in how easily he blushed. "What are the other items?"

Seemingly glad to focus on a topic other than the uses of the rillian teaberry melon, the gestured to the pink goo on his own plate. "Vulcan mollusk. They are large enough that we could share one with extra if you so desire. The other is Favinit, an edible orchid. The golden pieces are its stalk. For dessert, I have prepared Saffir for you."

Her mind reeled at the fact that Spock had prepared all of this food for her rather than order it through the replicating system. "Thank you, Spock. Really," she said quietly as she took a bite of the mollusk. It was slimy, to say the least, but once she got around that fact, it turned out to be one of the most savory food items she'd ever had. Much better than the stuff her parents had made throughout her childhood.

When Spock seemed at ease that she wasn't going to spit out the food and run back to her own room, he began to eat. She was about to take a bite of the melon when he cleared his throat. Looking at him, she smiled lightly.

"Might I ask a personal query?"

Seiko rolled her eyes playfully as if to think. "Depends on what it concerns."

"That remains to be seen."

Laughing, she nodded and eased a piece of melon into her mouth, which made her groan at the sweet flavor.

"Would it be improper to ask about your romantic history with other men?" he asked, making Seiko start to choke on her food. She knew in the back of her mind that it had been a bad idea to shove the whole piece into her mouth when she knew he was one for surprising questions. She was holding her throat with one hand and scratching at the table with the other as Spock stood and lifted her up by her arms. He balled his hands into fists on her abdomen, her back against his chest, and pressed in and up in short jerks.

When the melon eased out of her throat, Seiko took a large gasp and felt forward only slightly, her hands resting on the back of her chair, Spock still against her. "Th-thanks," she whispered and was met by silence. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw that Spock was frozen, his eyes glazed over. "Spock?"

Seiko wasn't sure what happened between her saying his name and the current point in time, but she was letting her eyes slip closed as she was pressed back against the table by Spock's lips on her own. His long fingers where wrapping around her waist as hers were trying to thread themselves in his hair. Though the kiss was urgent, it was still softer than she had expected and a low moan sounded from her throat.

As quickly as the kiss started, it ended and Spock was backing away from her, his eyes dark. She stared at him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes and took a sip of his wine. A small, tingling feeling erupted in her chest, though it was definitely not from the food. She blinked a moment and then sat at in her chair and drank her own glass. She knew instantly that he was going to try to forget that event even happened. The best thing for her would be for her to do the same.


	14. Chapter 14

I only own Seiko and the plot (as it takes place after the Narada Incident). Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated, though flames will be ignored.

I apologize for taking so long to write this. I hope that this reprieve is well recieved.

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><p>Chapter Fourteen<p>

Seiko was looking out the window on the bridge after dinner when she felt someone nudge her shoulder. Looking, she smiled when she saw Sulu holding out a mug of tea to her. "Hey, there. Have a nice dinner?" he asked, standing beside her with his own tea.

A smile tugged at her lips and she nodded. "It was lovely."

"Well, if it was so lovely, why are you here and not with him?" he asked, sipping.

She didn't answer right away, too dazed about what had happened and looking at the passing stars. The comfortable feeling she'd had around Spock was replaced with anxiety the moment she stepped onto the bridge and looked into space. They were always getting closer to Earth and to things that she didn't want to deal with.

"Jim came in," she said with a laugh and shook her head.

"That's not enough of a story, and you know it."

Seiko laughed again and Sulu tugged her to the Comm, sitting her down in Chekov's seat, leaning back into his own. She took a sip of her tea before she launched into an explanation, reviewing it herself.

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><p>Spock cleared his throat after the silence between them. Neither had said a word after the kiss and Seiko was sure that he wanted to forget it. She was about to take a sip of her wine when he stopped her, his hand warm and his fingers wrapping around hers.<p>

"Seiko. I'm sorry if that was selfish of me. I shouldn't have done that to you, after everything that we've talked about," he said, his eyes glistening with slight panic. As she looked at him, she began to wonder.

"It's alright."

"No, it's not. I shouldn't have forced you to leave the comet or say those things to you on the bridge. I was… angry, I think you could say. I was acting without thinking, something I do not do. I wanted to protect you from things that you weren't even involved in, and I over reacted. I am sorry."

'Oh. He's talking about that…,' Seiko thought as she pulled her hand away from his. The look in his eye made him seem like he was in pain while his exterior remained blank. She laughed slightly and ran her fingers through her hair, sitting back in her seat and looking up at the ceiling.

"Spock, you're a jerk," she said. "Plain and simple. I don't know what the hell I did to you to make you act that way or make you think you couldn't tell me what was going on with this whole Malory family thing, but you are definitely going about it the wrong way."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you should have told me everything immediately. I'm seventeen for gods' sake, not five. I'm an intellectual underneath all this emotion, you know. I can handle it."

They were quite for a moment before Spock did something uncharacteristic. He sighed heavily and slumped back into his chair. Seiko raised an eyebrow and continued to watch him, wary of what such an action meant to him. When his eyes rose to hers, the panic was gone, only to be replaced by something she couldn't identify.

"I know. It was not my intention to treat you like a child -"

"But you did. Look, I've already made peace with the fact that when we get to Earth, I'll most likely be executed, thrown into jail at the very least. When you said that if I got out of this, you'd give me back to my parents. That fucking hurt."

"I'm sorry."

Seiko sighed and nodded, leaning against the table with her hands holding up her head. "Just promise me something, okay?"

"What would that be, Seiko?"

"If I get executed, don't give my body back to my parents."

The silence was deafening and Seiko knew that Spock was thinking it over. She wanted to remain free of her overbearing family in death if it came to it. There wasn't much that she knew about the Mari, but she couldn't be sure about what their form of punishment would be. Especially if Malory's father and brother were in it. Her brother could ask for blood, even if their father said he wasn't surprised by his daughter's actions. She just hoped that Spock could figure something out with her family before it became a major concern.

"It will not come to that. But if such a thing were to occur, I give you my word that you will not be given back to your parents," he said in a low voice before he stood up. She watched him go to the kitchen and bring back a small basket of bread. The Saffir. She'd forgotten.

"Thank you," she whispered as she took a piece and ripped a small chunk off. It was sweet and fluffy, exactly as she thought it would be. She smiled at Spock when he looked to her for her opinion. "It's wonderful."

"I'm pleased that you find it agreeable."

"You know, on Earth, when someone makes a big meal like this, it's more like a date than a simple get together between two people," she said in amusement. She knew the comment would make Spock uncomfortable, but she wanted to get the impending threat of her doom out of her mind. At least for now.

And he didn't disappoint. The tips of his ears turned a light shade of green and he cleared his throat. "I am aware of that, Seiko."

"Oh yeah? So you know that this looks like a date?"

"Then it is as I had planned," he mumbled.

Seiko stared at him, her mouth open slightly. He was looking at his wine for a while before she final got a grip on herself. "You said-"

"I said I was not asking for a relationship. I did not say, however, that I was not going to court you."

'That smug, sneaky bastard,' she thought as she felt the heat rush to her face and turned away to drink more of her wine. When she glanced at him, he had the smallest smile on his face. 'Definitely smug.'

"And what if this courting works out? You gunna ask for a relationship then?"

"No. If it were to happen that my courting you is well received, I believe I would demand one. That is, if you have not asked first." Damn, he was smug _and_ cocky.

"You know courting involves liking the other person. And what about sex? I'm a minor that's trying to get over rape, you know."

Spock's eyebrow disappeared into his hair and she laughed at him. "I assure you that I have only had intercourse with a member of the opposite sex due to genetic and reproductive necessity and have no intention of doing so with you."

"Ah, you're so romantic," Seiko said, sarcasm dripping from her words, with a smile.

"I am unsure what is romantic about my previous statement."

"Forget it, Spock. I get it, so get that eyebrow back on your forehead, okay? We'll just see how it goes."

Spock nodded and Seiko took the moment to stand up and stretch. Unceremoniously, she moved a little and fell into Spock's lap, laughing at the expression on his face. He looked horrified. "Seiko, what are you doing?"

"Well, if you're planning on courting me, you have to get used to being around me outside of the lab, Commander," Seiko said and smiled widely. "Besides, you've already kissed me."

"I was under the impression that you were asleep," he said, but the look on Seiko's face caused him to stop.

"What? When I was asleep? When the hell was this?" she shouted, getting off his lap and staring down at him. Spock realized his mistake and his face turned green, as did his ears. "Wait a minute… You… That's why you were being a total ass to me when we got on the comet! I thought I said something to you that made you that way but it turns out you were feeling guilty that you took advantage of me while I was asleep!"

"Seiko, I-"

"And you told Hikaru to come pick me up because you were afraid to face me yourself! You… You…."

Before Seiko could say anything else, Spock was pulling her down to him and covering her mouth with his own. A small squeak came from her throat, but she reclaimed her seat on his lap, her fingers wrapping around each other behind his neck. The kiss ended quickly, but when Spock pulled away, he rested his forehead against Seiko's.

"You were saying?"

"You sneaky bastard."

"So I've been told," he whispered before he kissed her again, his hands sliding around her waist. He began to stand up from his seat and Seiko wrapped her legs around his waist quickly to avoid breaking the contact between them. A small chuckle came from Spock as his hands held her up and moved them to the couch that Seiko hadn't really noticed when she came in. She felt the soft cushions against her back before she released Spock's waist, his hands coming to hers again.

Seiko broke away to breathe and looked up at the Vulcan. He was kneeling between her legs, staring at her with a tinge of lust in his eyes. She grew afraid and began to internally panic. 'Breathe. It's Spock. You've had a crush on him since the moment you saw him. Relax. He won't hurt you.' She had to repeat that to herself as his head came down and planted soft kisses on her neck and collar. She'd been on dates before, but if he had planned to court her, was this supposed to be happening? Wasn't it going a bit fast? When Spock licked a spot beneath her ear, she moaned and forgot the internal argument she was having.

"Spock…," she moaned. He seemed to like the sound because he repeated his action only to follow it with a small bite. She could feel a small twitch in her tailbone and arched her back. Neither of them heard the door opening.

"Spock, I… Holy shit!"

Spock pulled away from Seiko and looked up. She was still dazed, but she knew that voice from somewhere.

"Captain…"

"What the fuck is going on?" Jim yelled, causing Seiko to peek over the back of the couch but just enough to hide the blush forming on her face. She glanced at Spock and he looked as stoic as ever.

"J-Jim… It's not how it looks-"

"Please disregard Miss Yamada's comment, Captain. This is exactly as it looks," Spock said, his voice gruff but unwavering. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. Jim mirrored her actions.

"What?"

"As of this evening, I would like to voluntarily present the information that I will be courting Miss Yamada until such a time that we begin a relationship or it impedes either of our ability to continue our work, in such a case our relationship would terminate."

Jim was dead silent, his mouth still open and his eyes staring at his first officer. Seiko was quiet with her face in her hands, knowing that their "relationship" was over before it even got a chance to begin.

"Way to go, Spock!" Jim suddenly cheered, striding over to him and smacking him on the shoulder. "I knew you'd get 'er!"

Seiko looked up at the two and stared in disbelief. "Wait… You knew-"

"Well, yeah. He's been makin' goo-goo eyes at you since you became his shadow. You're the last one to know, obviously."

"You mean… Oh god," Seiko whined and let her head fall into her hands again. She heard Jim laugh and buried her face into the couch.

"Please don't embarrass her, Captain. She's been through enough," Spock said, a smile evident in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Man, Spock! I was thinking you'd never get together! Everyone was starting to make bets!"

Seiko didn't want to hear it anymore and stood up, running from the room. She heard Spock call her name, but she ran for the lift and hopped in before he could make it. The bridge was her destination. She needed to talk to Hikaru.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god!" Sulu said laughing, his tea forgotten on the consol. Seiko's face was bright red and she kept smacking him in the arm. "That is fantastic!"<p>

"Shut up!" she said and pushed him out of his chair. He wasn't fazed and only continued to laugh. The only ones around them were minor lieutenants and only shook their heads at his actions. "God, I hate you, Hikaru!"

"That is the best story I've heard in so damn long! I'm so glad Jim walked in! I was thinkin' you were gunna tell me some porn story! This was so much better!"

Seiko kicked the fallen pilot and stood up. "Jerk! I hope you crash!" she said before she entered the lift again and left the bridge. Once the doors closed, she smiled to herself and began to laugh. "Geez..."


	15. Chapter 15

I wish to apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I know that I haven't updated for a few months, but please believe that I have not forgotten.

Thank you to everyone that has reviewed and added this story to their favorites and alerts. I also thank those that have added me under their author alerts. I'm glad that this story is still being received so well.

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><p>Chapter Fifteen<p>

Spock was standing outside of Seiko's room when she got off the lift from the bridge and it didn't surprise her in the least. She took her time getting there, knowing that it would annoy the hell out of him, and smirked when he shook his head. She was feeling a lot better from the laugh she had in the lift and with no Jim in sight, or any other member of the crew for that matter, she felt happy about Spock courting her again.

"You did not have to run, Seiko. The Captain left a few minutes after you did," Spock said when she made it to the door and punched in her code.

"Yeah, well, it was awkward to be seen by your Captain when you're making out with his first officer," she said, deadpanning to her Vulcan companion. "Especially when he's also the Commander that got you into Star Fleet."

"Perhaps you are right. That does sound as if we are committing an indiscretion."

Seiko nodded with a smile before waving at him. "Wanna come in or something?" she asked, a little uncomfortable with him being in the same room as her after she'd blown up the desk. He probably saw it when he was in her room before and brushed it off. Now, it would just seem like it was inviting criticism.

"I do not think that would be advisable right now," he said in a low voice and looked at the floor. She could see embarrassment in his eyes and smiled, understanding exactly how he felt.

"Alright. Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow when we land, huh?" She hadn't forgotten their arrival on Earth or the things that would come to pass. She could feel the fear beginning to build up inside her, but she wasn't going to get anywhere without fighting back.

"Yes. I believe so." Spock looked up and stood straight, his hands behind his back. He stared at her for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Good night, Seiko."

As he turned, Seiko bit her lip and grabbed his arm. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, his eyebrow raised. "Wait."

"What can I do for you?"

Seiko only smiled at him and pulled him back before planting a kiss on his cheek. He was still for a second or two and when she began to pull away, he captured her lips with his own, his hands holding her face to his. Her hands grabbed the front of his shirt for stability, as she was shaking with excitement. When he pulled away, he smirked and pushed her into her room.

"Goodnight, Seiko," he said before he turned and disappeared into his own room. The girl wasn't complaining about his tact; he knew best. Especially with Earth looming on the horizon.

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><p>The ship docked at the Star Fleet landing station at 0700 the following morning, rousing Seiko from a sleep filled with screaming cadets in red, infuriated admirals in grey and the ever mysterious Mari condemning her to death. When she sat up and looked out the window of her room, she felt a chill crawl down her back and tightness in her chest that she wasn't used to. Reaching to her bedside table, she grabbed her inhaler and took a deep breath of its medicine.<p>

"It's okay. Things will be okay," she whispered to herself and fought the urge to cry. She wasn't going to give the Malory family rapist any satisfaction from seeing her torn apart by the recent events. If anything, she was going to keep her head up, her thoughts clear and her temper under control.

Seiko stepped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, running a sonic shower. She wasn't used to them, but she figured that if things were to go badly, it would be the last one she'd ever have. 'No,' she thought to herself. 'Stay optimistic.' As she stripped out of her regulation sleepwear, she let her mind wander to the night before. The look in Spock's eyes, the food he had made for her. Everything had pointed to something between them, but she hadn't been smart enough to figure it out.

Now that she was able to think about it without the need to pass out from exhaustion, Seiko mentally smacked herself for not seeing the signs. The allowance into Star Fleet, encouraging her to have the room beside him, fighting for her position on the Enterprise with the Admiral, teaching her, eating with her, touching her. Everything had been about her from the moment he introduced himself. And he didn't want anything in return but to court her.

A wave of guilt lapped against Seiko's thought process and tears sprung to her eyes. At that moment, she stopped the shower and wrapped a fluffy, white towel around herself. Staring into her own eyes in the mirror across from the shower, she huffed. "If I make it out of this, I will do what I can to make it up to him," she whispered.

'You can start by looking presentable,' she chided to herself and nodded absent mindedly. She had never needed to wear it, but her formal cadet uniform sat in her closet, nearly begging her to put it on. It didn't look any different from the ones she had worn the night before, but a regal aura seemed to emanate from it. She would wear it with pride until her death.

A buzz at her door brought Seiko out of her daze as the last button was latched at the neck of her uniform. She pushed the button over where her desk should have been, and looked up to see Spock in his black Commander uniform. Not at all surprised by his appearance, she moved a little so that he wouldn't see the wooden splinters on the floor.

"Commander."

"Miss Yamada. I have been asked to escort you to the Grand Hall, in which you will meet with Cadet Malory's father as well as the High Council of the Marian government. Both have agreed to listen to your version of the incident with little persuasion. I will be with you the entire time," he said. Though his rigid stature showed nothing of his feelings on the matter, Seiko could see his eyes pulsing with anxiety.

"Thank you, Commander," she said as she gave him a salute. He nodded and stepped inside her room and allowed the door to close. She was shocked that he would do such a thing, but it was pushed out of her head when he took two long strides and kissed her. When they parted, Seiko's pupils were dilated. _"What was that for?"_ she asked in perfect Vulcan.

_"Though I do not believe it is a tangible idea to fall back on, I believe humans would say 'for luck.'" _

His response wasn't odd, but it did bring a small smile to her face. "Thank you, Spock." She wouldn't say what she really thought, that she would need a lot of it, but she accepted it just the same. If he had faith in her being pardoned, then she might as well go along with it.

"Come. We have little time to make it there," he said before he squeezed her hand lightly and released her, taking the lead to the door. When he opened it, he looked back at her with the ghost of a smile. "Miss Yamada?" She feared it would be the last time she'd see him that way.

Shaking her head, Seiko caught up to the Vulcan and smiled slightly. "It's nothing, sir." Yes, it was nothing. Nothing yet.

The shuttle had been silent, as Spock and Seiko had been the only two on it. No one from the Enterprise was even up as early as they were; they had shore leave until the matters were cleared up. Seiko guessed that if the court order had not involved Spock, whether because he was her mentor or otherwise, Jim would have just dropped her off and went back to looking for the reason why skeletons were found on Comet Archer. She hadn't forgotten her discovery, and she was hoping she'd find out why they were there with the help of her teacher. It was their work, no one else's. A small bit of jealousy pulsed behind her eye at the thought of someone else taking over.

The grounds of the Star Fleet academy were silent as death, just as the Enterprise and shuttle had been. She had no idea why, as she was sure there would be classes starting. Looking at the large clock overlooking the pavilion, Seiko was unsurprised to see that it was nearing 0800. That was probably the time that everyone had agreed on. 'Thank god for internal clocks.'

Spock stopped in front of the door to the Grand Hall and turned to Seiko. The Grand Hall was a building all in its own rather than a room in the main building of the academy. She had read that it was due to the large amount of cadets registered that they had to build it in order to fit them for mandatory assembly. That small bit of information suddenly lit something up in her brain.

"W-wait a minute… I'm not going in there with the whole academy there!" Seiko said suddenly, though Spock didn't look shocked at all. He probably figured that she came up with the idea after seeing the deserted campus.

"You have no choice," he said simply and stared at her. "Remember, I am going to be with you the entire time, Seiko."

"No. You don't get it. I'm not even a cadet yet! No one in there is going to support me. They're going to side with Malory for what he did because of my temperamental emotions! I… I can't," she whispered, the unshed tears finally making an appearance. Being in front of Mr. Malory, Star Fleet admirals and the Marian government was one thing she could handle. It would be just like delegations she had been forced to attend between her brothers and prospective business mergers.

But the entire campus of cadets was something else entirely. They wouldn't be informed of everything that had transpired and they sure as hell were not going to believe anything she said. This would be especially true because the Malory's had been known there. The students knew them in class or even through friendship. Seiko wasn't someone they knew and were likely to judge her based on the facts presented.

"You are going to go in there, Seiko, whether you are going to walk in with your head high or me carrying you like a child. I will not hesitate to do the latter if it means to get this resolved, however, your case will be broken if you were to be seen as an arrogant and self-centered."

The venom in Spock's voice forced a deadly look to emerge from Seiko's face. She knew he was right, of course, but he didn't have to be so direct about it. Her wish of him getting to the point on her first day was suddenly biting her in the ass.

"Open the door, Commander," she growled and set her face into an expressionless mask. She wouldn't pretend to be the whiny baby that they were likely expecting. She would be strong and Spock was right. She had to stand on her own two feet and if help was needed, it would always be there. "I'm ready."

Walking into the room, Seiko noticed that she was entering via a ramp in the middle of the room with seats on either side and above, much like a stadium. When students closest to the entry way saw her, all chatting ceased and turned into whispers and snide comments. Following the cement aisle, Spock led Seiko through the mass of red to the front of the room.

Each step to that long panel of officials was a nightmare. The fear was at maximum strength in Seiko and she had to clench her fists so as those closest to her wouldn't see her shaking. The urge to vomit was strong and the overwhelming wish to run was even stronger. If she was lucky, she wouldn't turn into a mess of tears by the time the conversations were over. Hopefully, the fact that the entire student body was present would keep the flood gates closed.

Keeping her gaze steady and her head held high, Seiko ignored the words that floated into her ears from the cadets. "Slut" and "murdering whore" were favorites, but what kept her from lashing out was the plank like back of Spock in front of her and a sudden flash of white in front of her. Make it two.

'What are they doing here?' she screamed inside herself when she saw her brothers sitting at a table close to the one she was now approaching behind Spock. She tried to not let her face give her away, but she was horrified to see the successful twins. If they were here, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if their parents were. If she was lucky and got out of this, maybe Spock wouldn't give her back.

"This convention between Star Fleet, the Malory family, and the government of the Mari will now begin. The case is that of the death of Cadet Christa Malory by Miss Seiko Yamada, countered by the case of sexual harassment of Miss Seiko Yamada by Lieutenant Lance Malory," Admiral Pike said in a booming voice. Seiko breathed a bit easier to know that he was the one in charge of the case on the side of Star Fleet. "The accused and defendant, Miss Seiko Yamada, is represented by Commander Spock of Star Fleet. The plaintiff and accused, the Malory family, is represented by the Denvio Allfrom of the Marian Government."

The crowd of students began to murmur amongst themselves. Seiko could hear friends of both Malory students whimpering and grounding out their own threats against her, but she remained impassive. She wasn't going to win any admirers if she was emotional. She'd have to bear it. She glanced to Spock beside her, still as a statue. She'd be eloquent and charming for him.

Spock moved from Seiko's side and walked towards the panel in front of them. She could feel a small part of herself wanting to curl up and hide, but he had promised he'd be there with her. She had to be there with him, too. "I would like to begin with a chronology of events involving Miss Yamada in relation to both Malory siblings. As Commander to Miss Yamada, it is my duty to present all evidence to her actions and progress made to her person."

"That will be unnecessary, Commander Spock. The timeline is already common knowledge to the High Council. We would like to begin sentencing," Denvio Allfrom said calmly and Seiko's heart dropped.


	16. Chapter 16

Like I said in CH. 15, I apologize for the lateness of this update. I also apologize that this is shorter than other chapters.

Thank you again to everyone. I'm not sure I'd still be writing or thinking about this story without the support I've gained from you.

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><p>CHAPTER SIXTEEN<p>

Sentencing? Without hearing her side? Seiko was frantic and her mask had fallen to reveal a girl very afraid of what the Marian government could do. Everyone had gathered and they wanted to just get everything over with, as if they were right. Seiko did kill Malory, but she hadn't meant to. Apparently a kill was a kill, no matter what the weapon. All optimism just shot right out the window.

"Sentencing will not be allowed until all evidence is heard for either party," Admiral Pike said, a glare shooting towards the Marian delegate. "I do agree, however, that a time line is unnecessary. Commander Spock, you are the girl's mentor and teacher aboard the Enterprise. It has been your duty to watch her and ensure her stability. How is she fairing?"

A burst of hope inside Seiko was all Spock needed to see before stilling his shoulders and looking as intimidating and impressive as he had the first time she met him. "I have been teaching Miss Yamada in the ways of meditation of the Vulcan influence. I ask her to focus on the events with Miss Malory and to reign in her anger and violent thoughts. She has confided in me that it takes the form of a mass of fog, black in colour, and her progress to manipulate it is astounding for one unacquainted with Vulcan tradition. As I am sure the panel is not aware of Miss Yamada's talents, I believe it would be necessary to recall them.

"Miss Yamada, though seventeen and not a formal cadet in the Star Fleet academic program, has the very unique quality of an eidetic memory and an enhanced ability to process information given to her at rates that rival my own. I have found that anything I teach her becomes second nature to her functioning and this includes that of meditation. I have witnessed her temperament at its highest and lowest points while under my care and am proud to say that her body naturally forces a meditative state upon her to control herself."

Allfrom shook his head and stared at Seiko for a moment before stopping Spock's speech. "Commander, there is a difference between yourself and Miss Yamada. That would be that you willingly go through meditation to ensure control. Miss Yamada does it out of reflex. She shouldn't have to use it at all if she is progressing as you say she is."

Spock seemed to bristle at the remark, but his dark eyes narrowed on Allfrom dangerously. "It is my duty to ensure the safety of the crew of the Enterprise, including Miss Yamada. I have seen many cadets fail in their transition to active duty merely faced with the idea of danger and death. They have locked themselves away or became the host for violent outbursts. Emotion and one's ability to maintain control is a feat in and of itself for the human race, much unlike you or I, Mister Allfrom. Whether or not Miss Yamada should be chastised for her use of meditative techniques should fall to what could have occurred had she not become accustomed to it."

The look on the Marian man's face was thunderous and Seiko almost wondered if he was wishing for Spock's death at that time. Something occurred to her in that moment and she realized what Spock was saying. Meditation had become second nature to her. She hadn't even thought about it the day before, but there she had been, on the floor and seeing into her old home. Then another thought. Her brothers!

"A girl has been murdered in cold blood, Commander Spock, and you stand before us, condoning the accused's actions!" the man said, the words spitting from his mouth with such force that Seiko was sure she saw Spock flinch when spit hit him. She had to get the attention turned onto her heritage.

Admiral Pike held up his hand, sufficiently quieting Allfrom and the crowd of students above the panel. "We are all aware of the happenings between Miss Yamada and the Malory siblings. Therefore, I would ask that the panel turn their attention to the state of Miss Yamada's knowledge of her ancestry." The graying man made a motion for Spock to step aside and for Seiko to come forward. The tight feeling was in her chest again. "Miss Yamada, when were you told that you may have Marian blood?"

"Commander Spock told me after the incident between Lieutenant Malory and myself," she said, glancing at Mr. Malory. The man seemed to have been built by the army, but his face betrayed nothing of how he felt. In fact, it looked like Allfrom was doing things on his own rather than consulting him about anything. If he had, Seiko was sure that the man would be demanding blood.

"Had you ever been told before that time?"

"No, sir."

"She's obviously lying. It is common for Japanese families to retain a record of all ancestors for future genealogies," Allfrom said with a smirk. "It is impossible that she did not know."

Suddenly, Seiko's twin brothers stood up and nodded in her direction. It was as if they planned it. "Actually, we would like to present evidence to counter that impossibility," one twin said and it was at that moment that she had no idea who it was.

Admiral Pike looked at the twins and held out his hand. "Please state your names and relation to the accused, please."

Together, the twins bowed low and then looked directly at the Mari official. "We are Nori and Taka Yamada, elder brothers to Seiko Yamada. We are able to confirm her nonexistent knowledge of our background."

Seiko wasn't paying attention anymore. When she saw the tapestry of the family tree as well as the written records, her heart filled with so much love for her brothers, that she was beginning to regret ever leaving. They obviously came all the way to California to defend her life, the first unselfish thing they had ever done. Even when she wasn't with them, they still looked out for her.

"…can see that where we believe a Marian relative's name once appeared is now destroyed by that of a cigar burn. This tapestry has hung in our home for generations, and not once have we seen the name that belonged there," Nori said with confidence before Taka opened a large book.

"Here, we see the same genealogy, but quite a bit more extensive than that of the tapestry," he said, pointing to a space near the bottom. "My brother and I came across this recently, the name appearing once in any family records. "Bielle Nikami. At first, we passed it by, but upon closer inspection, one realizes this is a Marian name. This record has been locked away by our grandparents until today."

Admiral Pike held up his hand for a moment and made a movement for the twins to show him the evidence. When they stepped up to the council, Allfrom leaned over in his seat to look at the tapestry. His eyes were dark and Seiko could almost hear the cogs in his head spinning for an alternative argument.

"This tapestry is coated in a layer of dust, as is the burn. May I please see the written records to ensure that this is the same person we seek?" Pike asked, holding his hand out to the brothers. Nori handed it to him and pointed to the area that Bielle appeared.

"Right there. She wasn't a part of the original tree, but was added when she married Hiro Nikami, our great grandfather by three generations," he said. Admiral Pike's eyes were zooming across the page and Allfrom's face was turning redder by the second.

Spock was suddenly standing on Seiko's left and she nearly jumped from the appearance. She glanced at him to see the ghost of a smug smirk on his face. From the way he was acting, it was like he had seen the genealogy before the council. Though he didn't seem to mean to, his hand brushed against hers as he let his hands swing to his sides and to his front where he clasped them once again. It wasn't much, but Seiko appreciated the gesture.

"I am actually surprised that this is coming from my mouth right now," Allfrom began, his eyes dark and his hands now in a steeple in front of him, "but it seems that Miss Yamada's genealogy is accurate and from the condition of both pieces of evidence, she did not know about her ancestry. However, it is not to say that others of her family had not mentioned in down the line and for that, we cannot know for sure. Because of this, I have no other choice than to push for sentencing."

Seiko's jaw dropped and Spock was tense again. He didn't seem surprised, but he sure as hell didn't seem like he expected the idea of sentencing again. "I would like to challenge this motion," he said. His voice was dark again and Seiko side stepped the smallest bit to keep out of the way of his rampage.

"What more is there, Commander?" Allfrom asked, his grin apparent behind his hands. Seiko made a note to herself that she did not like the man. At all.

"I can prove that Miss Yamada had no idea besides that of the tapestry and written records."

"Oh, can you now? Well, I would very much like to see that." No, Seiko didn't just dislike him. She hated him and his cockiness.

"I will require assistance that is not present at this time. If the council will allow me three days, then I shall be able to provide adequate references and visitation contracts."

"That cannot be done. As a member of the Marian High Council, I am needed elsewhere. Either you produce the witness now, or I shall return in a week to continue."

They were stuck and Spock knew it. Seiko knew it. Hell, the cadets behind her knew it. They would have to bring forth someone else that could get into her own memories or they'd have to return in a week to start all over again. That wasn't something that Seiko wanted to relive. Getting into the hall was bad enough the first time. Knowing that she'd be sentenced the next time would make her want to stay on the damn ship.

"If you can't, then we have no choice but to keep her detained until such a time that you are able to provide this witness of yours, Commander Spock."

"I assume you mean detained at Star Fleet," Spock said loudly, but the cadets in the hall were starting to fuss.

"No, no. I mean, Commander, that she will be detained upon my vessel until such a time that we may return to this case. Until then, she will be under the supervision of the Mari and punished for her actions."

"This court is not finished. There will be no punishment to Miss Yamada's person until it is sorted," the Vulcan said loudly, causing people to question his emotional state. Seiko could hear them behind her.

"It is my ship, Commander."


	17. Chapter 17

This is for Nix Tears because she kept bugging me to put it up until I finally did.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER SEVENTEEN<p>

Seiko was sitting in her dorm room on campus when there was a knock on the door and it opened. She didn't need to look up to see who it was, having seen him an hour ago when she was put in there. Put as opposed to going in there herself. They, being the Mari, wanted her to stay there until they were ready to leave at such a time that they would retrieve her and place her in a holding cell. An hour had been long enough, but they weren't planning to leave until the following morning.

'Probably to make this that much worse,' she thought to herself.

A weight on the side of her bed pulled her out of her silent moping and caused her to look up at the dark haired man beside her. Though he remained as stoic as ever, Spock's eyes were something hard to describe. Like he was fighting with something that he wanted to express but had no way to do so.

"You don't look happy, Spock," she whispered and held her head on her hands.

"I was unaware that I looked like anything, Seiko," he said meekly, his voice low and quiet.

The two were silent for a while, trying to figure out what to say to the other. At least that's what Seiko had been doing. What was she going to say? 'See you in a week?' That was hardly the proper way to go about it. They hardly knew each other and they'd been working together for a week, maybe two at most.

"I've been to the cell they are going to place you. Unfortunately, there aren't facilities there so when you need to use them, you are to tell them. They are under the impression that you are a fugitive," he said.

"A fugitive, huh? Guess that makes you equally guilty for harboring one."

"This is no laughing matter, Seiko. They will be keeping you in a cell with a metal door, one without lights. They had them specially made for those with violent thoughts," he said in a huff, his eyes glowing in anger. Seiko wasn't sure if it was at her or the situation. "They are torture rooms."

"They should realize by now that if I had an onslaught of violent thoughts, I'd be blowing stuff up."

With a small laugh, Spock took her hand from her face and held it in his own. She could feel worry trickling from his fingers into her own skin and the fact that he held such an emotion for her was something that she could smile about.

"I told you that I'd be with you the whole time and I meant it, Seiko. I will be with you on the ship."

Seiko scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You will not. You are to stay on the Enterprise or wherever you're staying until the next meeting. I'm not going to let people think that you're devoted to me or something. It's not allowed."

"Am I not allowed to protect you from your own kind? I wish I had had someone like that on Vulcan. Seiko, you may think that you have an ability, a way to survive amongst them, but you don't. You are nothing extraordinary to them. You are merely a citizen that they believe needs to be taught a lesson."

Seiko took her hand from his and glared. "You really know just what to say to make a girl perk up, don't you?" Standing, she made her way to the bathroom and ripped a piece of toilet paper off the roll to wipe her eyes once the tears fell. She was glad that she had made it there without him seeing, but to know that not even he believed in her was something worse than them trying to sentence her.

Looking down at her hands, Seiko felt arms wind themselves around her waist. She looked back up at the mirror and saw Spock standing behind her, staring into her own eyes. A shiver ran down her spine at the sight. He looked serious about whatever it was that he was trying to get across to her.

"Don't cry. Please," he said quietly and brushed tears from her cheeks.

"I can't help it…"

Spock turned her around and took the toilet paper from her hand and dabbed at her cheeks again. When she tried to look down, he forced her to remain in eye contact with him with his fingers below her chin. "I know that the prolonging of this incident is hurting you on an emotional basis. I know that Lieutenant Malory hurt you physically. Believe me. I can feel it every time I touch you, and it gives me more pain than I thought would be possible."

"You know, if I didn't know for certain that your hands were so sensitive, I'd say you were being a perverted old man trying to get into my pants," she said and looked away from the eyes that were boring into her.

"I don't think I would be able to fit into your clothing, Seiko. I am quite a bit taller than you."

Sometimes it was cute that Spock had no idea what she was talking about, but at the moment, she could feel the anger start rising into her throat. To avoid herself from yelling at him, she pushed past him violently and crawled under the heavy comforter on her bed. She heard the light in the bathroom shut off and the weight on her bed returned.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and the weight disappeared. Seiko heard the door open and a heavy breathing on the other side made her peek out from under the comforter.

"Captain. May I ask what it is you need?" Spock asked, moving to the side as Jim Kirk walked into the room wearing a black, casual suit.

"Well, I figured it was her last night before… well… Nyota had the idea to go out tonight and I know Sulu and Chekov are in. What about you guys?" he asked, a light shining in his eyes that Seiko knew well. "Come on, the rest of us are on leave until you guys get back. Think of it as a going away party."

"Captain, I regret to inform you that –"

"I'm in!" Seiko said from the bed and jumped up, fixing her cadet suit. Kirk's eyes lit up and a wide smile split his face. "Lemme just get something-"

As Seiko turned to the clothing she brought with her, a hand stopped her. Looking up, she saw the less than impressed face of Spock. "I will not allow that, Miss Yamada. If you have forgotten, we are due in the hanger at 0900 and you have been given house arrest."

The smile from Seiko's face fell and looking at the captain, she gave him a weak shrug. "I'm sorry, sir. I hope your leave is alright," she said quietly and sat back down on the bed, Spock's hand still around her arm.

"Come on, Spock," Jim said, turning the Commander so that he'd look at him. In a low voice, he continued. "You don't know what the outcome of this investigation is going to be. You both could be going onto that Marian ship and we'll never see her again. Even if you guys come back, the trial will restart. I don't know when I'll have my second on the bridge."

Spock released Seiko and she acted as if she didn't hear the captain. She started to chew on the skin around her fingernails and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Commander, perhaps you should go with them. I'll be okay here. It's technically your leave, too," she said with a half smile and pulled the book he lent towards her.

Flipping through the book, she could feel the eyes of both men on her but tried to ignore it. Within seconds, she heard a sigh and elegant fingers closed the book in her hands. Looking up, she stared into Spock's eyes again. "Wear something appropriate." She finally won one.

Sulu had one arm around Chekov and the other around Seiko while Kirk took a picture. Being with the group had its perks. Even being underage, because she was with the captain of the Enterprise, she was given drinks that she could easily pass off for water or soda. Spock continued to give her disapproving looks throughout the night and to humor him, Seiko drank a few glasses of water.

"If he is seen giving you a drink, he could be court marshaled, Seiko," Spock said in her ear, adjusting the muted grey sweater he wore around his neck. She sipped at her drink and looked up at him. "I need you to regulate your drinking."

"I'm drinking soda, Commander," she said easily and turned to watch Sulu and Chekov dancing close to each other. The younger man couldn't drink either, but Sulu managed to get him drunk somehow. "Aren't they cute? I'm kind of jealous of them being able to go out in public together."

"Why is that?"

"Well, no one thinks twice about a pilot with his navigator. They spend all their time together on the bridge that it's almost second nature to read each other so well. Well enough to know a relationship would work. No one questions that," she said and took another gulp of her drink. Before she could talk again, the glass was taken from her and in protest she turned to Spock. "That's-"

Seiko stopped talking when Spock rested his lips against hers. Immediately, she closed her eyes and dropped her hands into her own lap. One of his free hands wrapped around hers and squeezed. They were broken apart by a flash. Spock looked up and turning, both saw the amused face of their captain.

"That's gunna be great at your wedding," he said with a slur and pulled Seiko up. "Come on, dancing!" he yelled, pulling the waving girl towards the dance floor. In her place, Uhura slid in next to Spock and gave him a knowing smile.

"Is there something you needed, Nyota?" Spock asked over the music.

"Are you really going with her on that Mari ship?"

"I gave Admiral Pike my word that I'd look after her. It is my duty to do so, not only as a Commander, but as her…"

Uhura's smile widened as she slapped his upper arm lightly. "I called it!" she gasped and laughed at the eyebrow disappearing into Spock's hair. "You can't tell me you agreed to be her commanding officer and mentor just for the fun of it. Spock, I've known you for years and you didn't even offer to teach me."

"That's not-"

"No no no no! That's not a flaming shot!" Seiko cried from the bar and pushed Jim out of the way. Both of them giggled as she held her hands out and he made a 'boom' noise. "This is," she said simply before the bottles of alcohol along the wall started to explode. One by one, down the line, the liquor erupted to gasps of horror.

The blood disappeared from Spock's face as he stood after Uhura. Seiko was giggling against Jim's side. His eyes widened in horror when he saw glasses starting to burst and disappear in a flurry of glittering dust. In seconds, the bar was full of screams and a man larger than his young charge slammed a bar across the back of her head. Jim's laughter ceased and Seiko didn't get back up from the ground.

The room was spinning well before Seiko even took the chance to open her eyes. The moment that she cracked them open, nausea forced her to turn over and empty her stomach. "Ow…," she whispered and pushed her hair to the side.

"Don't talk so loud," a hushed voice said behind her, making her jump. The room was dark, so it was impossible to tell who was talking with the weary, rough voice.

Falling back to her side, Seiko rubbed her face and groaned. Whether her eyes were open or not, she could almost feel the ground moving. At that moment, the floor jerked and her head smacked against the wall. "Ah, fuck!"

"What the hell was that?" the voice asked, filled with annoyance rather than alarm.

"Why is the floor moving? Was there an earthquake?" she asked and rubbed at the migraine that was starting to creep up on her.

It was then that the room was flooded with light and Seiko buried her face into her arms. "Hey! Keep it down over there," the voice said again. There wasn't a huge distance between them, but the strain could have fooled her. Somehow, she knew that voice almost as well as she knew that attitude.

"Captain?" she asked and looked bleary-eyed around her. It was a small room with a lone blue light hanging above her. The steel of the walls, floor and ceiling were the same as her detention room on the Enterprise, but it didn't feel the same.

"Yeah. Thanks for this, by the way," the voice muttered making hr finally turn to see glass in lieu of the final wall of the cell. The High Council must have shown Spock a different room than this one. Rubbing her eyes, Seiko looked out of the glass and saw none other than Captain Jim Kirk sitting in the opposite cell, still in his casual suit.

Ignoring his attitude for the moment, she evaded the rainbow coloured vomit and slid to the glass. It looked o be one solid sheet, several inches thick, but she could still hear him properly. "What do you mean? Where are we?"

"Unfortunately for you, Miss Yamada, you are now in the holding cells of the Patmock, flagship and vessel of choice by the Marian High Council," a diffe3rent voice said in the room, making both her and Jim look around. The walls were just as solid as the glass with absolutely no sign of a PA system. There must have been a camera, because there was the distinct sound of chuckling. "I'm sorry to tell you that your indiscretions last evening not only secured your place on our ship, but that of your Captain's as well."

"Why Captain Kirk? And where's Commander Spock? Surely he wouldn't allow this," Seiko said to the ceiling, motioning towards her captain. He didn't look any more pleased to be there than she did.

"Commander Spock is actually on his way to you, now. As for why James Tiberius Kirk has graced us with his presence, I will leave that for the Commander to explain." With that, the voice cut out and the two of them could hear more than one pair of boots making their way down the hall.

Pushing herself from the glass, Seiko saw what seemed to be a mother and child stop in front of the glass. "Mama, why is that lady in the time-out room?" the child asked, looking up at his mother with bright eyes. They didn't look any different from all the white people Seiko saw on a daily basis, but she knew they were Marian.

"She was a bad girl and blew stuff up. You see, she's kind of like us, but she didn't know that or the ban on bad thoughts. Now she's being punished because hr human body can't contain those bad thoughts," the mother said with a small smile and petted her son's hair.

"But, that's not fair. If she didn't know, why didn't they just take one of her toys away? Why is she being punished?

"I don't know, sweetheart," the mother said and pushed her son away from the glass, disappearing from view. If it wasn't for the glass, she would have picked up on the boy's emotions and thoughts. She would have been out of there in no time.

She was lost in her own musings that she didn't see the tall, rigid figure of Spock standing between Kirk's door and hers. The only reason she noticed was that his voice rang clear through the glass.

"Captain, I have spoken to Admiral Pike of the current situation. We are attempting to make the High Council see reason on this matter. However, it is proving more difficult than I imagined. Because of the trial already against Miss Yamanda, you have assisted in her negligence and placed many in danger."

"How the hell was I supposed to know she'd actually blow everything up? I was angry I was losing you so you could keep some kid safe. Can they really blame me? Spock, a captain needs his second in command and when that second is willingly handing himself over to babysit, do they really expect me to be call about it?" Kirk demanded, glaring at Spock while both ignored Seiko's presence.

"That 'kid,' as you call her, is an emotionally damaged adolescent that has not only come to realize her family legacy, but her true potential as both an intellectual and member of Star Fleet. If I'm not mistake, Captain, you allowed her admittance to the Enterprise and assisted us with the circumstances surrounding her arrival. May I ask what has changed?"

"I'm stuck in this fucking ship during shore leave because she picked up on –"

"Harvested," Spock said calmly, interrupting Kirk without so much as a bat of the eye.

"Whatever! Because she harvested my temper!"

"Hey! This emotionally damaged adolescent is right here and can hear you!" Seiko yelled at them. Spock finally acknowledged her presence and pressed a hand to the glass of her cell. She was too frustrated to do the same.

"Seiko, how are you feeling?" he asked, his voice quieter than it had been in his discussion with Kirk. "How's your head?"

"Well, before you two started to bitch and moan, I felt like I got hit by an antique truck. What happened?" she asked, resting her forehead on the glass. It helped the pounding, but it didn't feel the same as just talking to Spock. Something was off.

"After you let your frustrations out on the bar's entire liquor supply, as well as glasses, you were knocked out and taken to your room. I assume that the High Council had people to watch you while you were out, but they weren't in your room when I appeared. They returned an hour later to collect you. I accompanied them and saw the Captain in his cell, passed out."

Seiko shot a look to the captain, who only rolled his eyes and shrugged. So much for a last night out. "What a load of crap!" she yelled and slammed her hands against the glass. If Spock was surprised, he didn't show it. In fact, he leaned closer, his face an ever blank mask. Laughing mirthlessly, Seiko turned away from the men. "I swear to God…"

"Hey, I have every right to be just as mad as you. Hell, I should be mad at you!" Kirk yelled from across the hall, making Spock and Seiko turn to stare at him.

"I'm in the middle of a trial where my own kind wants my blood. Humans and Mari alike. You've had a relatively easy time being the son of a deceased hero."

"What part of Romulans from the future is easy or normal?" Kirk shot back and glared. "Don't try to top all the bullshit we've had to go through. They killed millions of people."

"I'm not trying to top anyone!"

"Bullshit!"

Spock stayed quite throughout their exchange before Seiko finally fell to the ground and leaned against a wall. "I know Hikaru mentioned to you that I was experimented on after I accidentally killed the family dog. I always hated that little thing. It would try to screw the non-existent brains out of all my dolls and when I'd stop him, he'd bite me. Sharp little teeth for a stupid Corgi. Naturally, I went to my parents. They were too busy with my brothers or sister to help me stem the blood flow. It was always 'Maybe you shouldn't have hit him,' 'Maybe you shouldn't have left your room,' 'I can't talk, I[m getting ready to go to your brothers' business party with your mother and sister.' I expected that. It's how it always was. They didn't even have the sense to enroll me into school. I had to forge their signatures to even get into primary."

"That's what happens when you do nothing remarkable with your life."

Ignoring Kirk, Seiko continued. "One day after school, that damn dog was ripping my pictures to shreds. He destroyed every single one, even the ones of my favorite grandfather that died the year before. So, I hit him to stop, but he ripped open my wrist." At this point, she pushed her sleeve up to show a large scar tracing up her forearm, stretched and pink against her tan skin. "I was so angry, I blew the little fucker up and buried him myself. Mother came home and demanded to know where he was when I showed her the blood. I thought she cared, but when she wanted to take him to the park, I told her I killed him. First time I got any attention from my parents and they were throwing me into the Nagoya Institute for the Criminally Insane."

Kirk was silent and Spock had turned away from her, both out of witty or logical things to say. She paused to breathe and wipe the sweat beading on her forehead before casting them a glance. "You know they still do ice baths and electro-shock therapy in those places? The woman I roomed with kept saying she'd get a hook behind the eye. Had no idea what she meant until she disappeared and some guard told me she died from her lobotomy procedure. They used to… probe a lot to see if they could get me to blow something up. Never happened. When they released me, I was gunna start junior high. The only good thing to come out of that was my aversion to Japanese food and my eidetic memory."

Spock held up his hand and stared at her, making her stop. "You mean that your… It's not…"

"Nope! Electrical rod right up here," she said calmly and pointed to the middle of her forehead.


End file.
